Ending of an Era
by Lady Elara
Summary: After 60 years, the Tunnel world is about to lose one of its founding members. Dedicated to Roy Dotrice, who passed 10/16/17 Rated T for eventual character death, just to be safe. All tears, no blood or guts
1. Chapter 1

Dedicated to the memory of Roy Dotrice, the amazing actor who played Father (as well as many other rolls during his lifetime) who passed Oct. 16, 2017. May he rest in peace.

Now, bear with me. I have this more or less written out in my head, but when it comes to physical writing….to quote Baymax "I am not fast" (which is why it took me nearly a month to put out the first chapter). More will be coming, I promise.

The door slid open, revealing the stone tunnel on the other side. The dim passage led into the world that had been a second home for him for most of his life. Just a short time ago, he had received a message asking him to come as quickly as he could. Of course, that wasn't nearly as fast as it would have been 20 years ago, but still, he would do his best.

Eventually, Peter reached the main hub of the Tunnel Community and made his way to the library. He was just coming down the stairs when a young woman was coming from the other end. "Peter, you made it," she greeted.

The elderly doctor gave her a smile. "Of course I did, Samantha. I may be slowing down, but I still do what I can. Is everything alright?"

Samantha's face fell a bit. "I think so, but…well, you know how tight lipped and stubborn Father can be. He really didn't even want me around. Mary's with him, though."

Peter gave her a sympathetic squeeze on the shoulder. "I do know. And I also know that he knows as well as I do what a good nurse you are. Don't worry, honey, I'm sure you did your best. You go ahead a do whatever you were going to do, I'll go see what I can do."

She nodded. "Good luck." With a last little smile, Samantha left the study.

Peter watched her go with a gentle smile before sighing and turning around. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out what he was fairly certain he was going to. But he also knew that he couldn't abandon his oldest friend, either. For quite some time now, he had noticed that Jacob Wells seemed to be becoming weaker and frailer. Of course, neither of them were young men anymore and it was to be expected. But that didn't make it an easier idea to deal with.

Pulling up his courage, he made his way across the library to the small chamber in the back that was Father and Mary's private room. He tapped his cane on the entry to announce his presence before stepping in. "Hello, you two. I came as quickly as I could when I got the message." He gave the couple a friendly smile. Father was sitting propped up in bed with Mary sitting at his side.

Father turned a glare on his wife. "Mary, I told you not to bother Peter."

She just gave him a look. "Yes, I know you did. And I ignored you. You can't keep up like this, Jacob. I know how you are, but things are going too far."

Peter pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed, setting his medical bag on the floor beside him. "Alright now, you two. Don't get started. So, why did you send the note, Mary? What happened?"

Father continued to glare at Mary, but she ignored him. "He's been ill for some time now, but he's refused to admit to anything. Now, this afternoon…."

Peter held up a hand. "Alright. Why don't you start at the beginning? What sort of symptoms are we talking about?" He had a feeling he was going to get most of his information from Mary instead of from Jacob himself, but either way, he hoped to get to the bottom of what was going on.

Mary ignored the looks she was getting from her husband, knowing that it was for the best to tell Peter what was going on. "Well, at first, I didn't think much about it. None of us are as young as we used to be." She gave a sad smile, looking down at her hands that had begun to tremble a few years back, making it difficult for her to do the more delicate detailed work she used to, but she still did her best. "But now, thinking back over it, I realize the signs have been there for some time now. For months, he's been getting weaker, tiring more easily. The last couple of months, he's been getting short of breath easily, complaining of chest pains. And lately, I've noticed swelling in his feet at night when he takes off his boots and it seems he has trouble breathing when he's lying down. I've been trying to convince him to talk to you about what's going on, but he's refused. But after this afternoon….well, I couldn't keep it a secret anymore."

Peter felt like his heart was simultaneously in his throat and in the pit of his stomach. But he was still a professional, so he pushed his own feelings aside to do his job. "What happened this afternoon to finally make you call for me?"

Father was glaring pure death at her now, but Mary simply glared back at him before answering Peter. "Shortly before we sent the note asking you to come, Jacob fainted. And I'm not talking about some minor syncopal event. Thankfully Samantha and I were close by. We were able to catch him enough to carefully lower him to the floor so he didn't get injured. He was probably out for at least a good minute before he came to again. Once he was awake enough, we brought him in here to rest."

Peter nodded. "Well, you did the right thing. But of course, I'm sure you know that." Bending down, he dug in his bag briefly and pulled out his stethoscope before shifting forward on the chair. "Alright, Jacob, you know the routine."

Sighing, knowing that he would never win this fight, Father shifted in the bed and opened his shirt to allow Peter to listen to his heart. Having a good idea exactly what he needed to check, Peter placed the head of his stethoscope to the left of the center of his chest. He only had to listen for a moment before he sighed, removing the stethoscope and sitting back with a sad sigh, shaking his head. "Oh, Jacob."

Father pulled his shirt closed again, nodding. "I thought so."

Mary looked between the pair, confused by the exchange. "You thought what? Do you know what's wrong? One of you tell me what's going on here."

Peter's gaze turned accusatory. "You haven't told her yet?"

Father shook his head, looking down. "No. I….didn't wish to upset her."

Peter was stunned. "You didn't want to upset her?! My God, Jacob. I knew you were thick, but sometimes…." He made a disgusted sound.

Mary became got even more confused with each word. "Please! Tell me what you're talking about."

Peter glared at Father. "You tell her, Jacob, or so help me, I will. She deserves to know." He left no doubt that he meant it. Sometimes, his dear friend needed a good swift kick in the rump.

Father sighed, knowing Peter was right. He could feel that he didn't have time to keep the secret any longer. "Mary….my love, I'm so sorry. I should have told you." He paused a moment, taking a deep breath. "I'm afraid….I'm dying."

Mary was in shock. "You're….what? No. How? From what?"

"A heart murmur. More specifically, an aortic regurgitation."

"And….how long have you had it?"

"In a minor form, probably for most of my life. But a few months ago….I started noticing some symptoms. I asked Peter to check it, and it had gotten worse. I'm assuming it's degraded since then." Peter gave a nod in agreement.

"But….isn't there anything that can be done? Some sort of….medicine or treatment?"

Peter shook his head. "I'm afraid it's progressed to the point where the only possibility would be surgery to replace the valve, and even then…at his age, in his condition….I don't even know if he would survive the anesthesia, much less the procedure itself."

"My darling, I'm sorry. I knew all of this before. I made my choice."

Mary turned on him, fire leaping into her eyes. "And what about the rest of us? Did you even think about us when you made your decision? We're just supposed to sit back, do nothing and watch you die, then go on with our lives like it's nothing?" Making an exasperated, disgusted sound, she got up and all but ran out of the room.

Father quickly moved to try and stop her. "Mary, please…!"

Peter put a restraining hand on him. "Let her go, Jacob. This is a lot to process. I'm sure she'll come around after a while. If there's one thing I know for certain, it's that she loves you."

Father sank back into the bed. "Yes, she loves me. And I love her. And….I've betrayed her, in one of the worst ways possible. You were right, Peter. I should have told her before."

"So why didn't you?"

He shook his head. "I….thought I was protecting her. Sparing her the pain of knowing."

Peter gave a snort. "Really? So you just thought that you would all go along, happy as can be, then what? One day, she'll wake up next to your dead body? Wonderful idea, Jacob."

Father sighed, looking down at his hands. "Yes, I know. It was stupid of me. But….I suppose my reasoning doesn't matter anymore. She knows the truth now. I'll just have to try and make it up to her while I can."

Peter shook his head, letting his anger fade. It wouldn't do any good. Not like they could change what was already done. "Yes, that might be a good idea. But as I said, she loves you. I'm sure she'll forgive you."

Meanwhile, in a different part of the Tunnels, Catherine and Vincent were returning from an after work/pre dinner walk, just chatting contently about their day, when something caught their attention. "Wait. Do you hear that, Catherine?"

Her ears weren't quite as keen as his, but she had learned over the years to hone what ability she had. She stood quietly for a moment, listening, then nodded. "Yes. It sounds like someone crying."

"We should see who it is and if there's anything we can do to help." When Catherine nodded her agreement, Vincent led her in the direction of the sound. Coming around a corner, they entered the far end of the chamber that contained the Mirror Pond. There, in an isolated corner, sat Mary. It was obvious from her appearance that she had been crying for some time.

The couple quickly ran to the elderly woman, Catherine scooting next to her on the rock she was sitting on, Vincent standing close to her other side. "Mary, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

She looked up at two of her favorite children, pain and anger waring in her heart and in her eyes. "Yes, I'm alright. As for what's wrong, why don't you ask Jacob." The anger in her eyes was reflected in her voice.

The couple were shocked. They had rarely heard Mary angry, and it was even rarer for that anger to be focused on Father. Frustration, many times, but rarely true anger. "Mary, are you sure? Is there anything we can do to help you?"

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Mary was able to calm herself some. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm sorry, dears. But don't you worry about me. I'll be alright. I just….need a little time alone to….think some things through."

Neither one was truly convinced, but if Mary was saying she needed some time and space, they would give it to her. "Alright. But if you decide you want to talk, you know you can always come to either of us. We love you." Catherine gave the old woman a hug while Vincent reached out to give her shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

Mary returned Catherine's hug with one arm, placing her other hand on top of Vincent's. "I know. And I love both of you. I promise, I'll be alright."

Leaving Mary to her thoughts, the pair silently agreed that, if they weren't going to get any answers from her, then perhaps they should pay Father a visit and see if he could shed some light on what was troubling their beloved 'mother'. Shortly, the couple arrived at Father's private chamber, tapping at the entrance. "Father? It's Vincent and Catherine. May we come in?"

Father sighed quietly, cringing a little. After the disaster with Mary, he wasn't sure he was ready to face his son and daughter-in-law, but he knew that putting it off wouldn't do any good. "Of course."

The pair entered and were slightly surprised to see a pale looking Father sitting in bed with Peter in a chair beside him. "Oh! Hello, Peter. We didn't know you were here."

"Yes. I just came down a little bit ago. But don't let me interrupt you. Was there something you wanted?" The look on his face hinted that he might know why they were there, but he didn't say anything.

The couple glanced at each other for a moment before Catherine spoke. Though he had gotten better about it over the years, she knew that Vincent didn't really like confronting his father if it could be avoided. "Father….Vincent and I were taking a walk after I got home from work. We were just heading back when we passed the Mirror Pool. We found Mary in there and….she was crying. We went to talk to her, to see if she was alright, but when we asked her what was wrong, she told us to ask you."

Father cringed noticeably at that. He had known she was hurt and angry when she'd run out. But knowing that she was crying, and that he was the reason was almost more than he could take. He felt like an absolute heel.

They noticed Father's reaction, and Vincent stepped closer. "Father, please. What's going on? Is there anything we can do to help either of you?"

Peter looked at his old friend. "Jacob, they deserve to know as well."

Father nodded. "You're right."

Catherine and Vincent frowned, confused and concerned by the brief exchange. "Father, Peter, what's going on?"

Father couldn't look the couple in the eye as he made his confession. "I'm afraid that Mary found out a secret I've been keeping from you all for the last couple of months. Honestly….I fooled myself into believing that I had more time, but…. Peter has just confirmed that I was wrong. You see….I'm dying."

Vincent and Catherine were both staggered by the revelation, Vincent becoming rooted to the spot in shock while Catherine nearly collapsed. Peter quickly stood, reaching out to steady her. "Cathy, honey, sit down. I don't want another patient." He gently guided her to sit on the edge of the bed.

It was several moments before either could process the information enough to continue on. Finally, Catherine spoke. "What's wrong? I mean, what's causing….?" Her brain was still so in shock, the normally articulate lawyer could barely form a sentence.

Still, Father understood her question. "It's my heart. I've had a minor malfunction of one of the valves for most of my life, but it was never really a problem. But now….. Well, I'm old, and it's wearing out. It's not able to function properly anymore."

"How much longer do you have?" Vincent asked, his voice quiet and rough with repressed emotion.

This time, Father turned to Peter for an answer. He sighed. "Well, without taking him Topside and running some tests, I'm really just having to guess here. But, given the symptoms that he and Mary are telling me and what I could hear for myself…..My rough estimate would be…..two months, give or take."

Vincent staggered a little, reaching out to Catherine, who gasped, a hand going to her mouth. "Two months."

"I told him already a couple months ago that the leak was getting worse, and that it was just a matter of time, though then I thought we might have a little longer. I told him already back then that he should have told you all what was happening."

Father moved forward, reaching out for Catherine's hand. "It's true, he did tell me. But….I didn't want what time I had left spoiled by your sadness. I wanted my last memories of my family to be as happy as possible. I was trying to spare you all the pain of knowing. I thought I was doing the right thing, now…." He trailed off, looking down with a sad expression.

Tears in her eyes, Catherine turned to face him. "I understand, Father. You were trying to protect us, as all parents try to protect their children. But we're not children anymore. We'll be here with you, helping you and staying with you right to the end." She leaned forward, pulling him into a careful hug.

Father returned the embrace, holding her close, grateful for the support. It had always been one of his greatest fears that he would die alone, and after Mary's reaction, he had worried that he had brought that exact fate on himself. "Thank you, dearest Catherine."

Unable to make his voice cooperate, Vincent added his agreement and support to his wife's by kneeling beside the bed and enfolding them both in a hug. The trio sat there, crying and holding each other, for quite some time. Eventually, Father kissed them both. "I love you both, so much. I'm sorry for everything."

"No, Father. It's alright. We understand. And I'm sure Mary will come around. She loves you, I'm sure she's just in shock. I can go talk to her, if you'd like," Catherine offered.

Father nodded. "Yes, thank you. And Vincent, would you mind asking William to have dinner sent here for Mary and me? I really don't feel up to facing the whole community right now."

Vincent nodded. "Of course, Father." He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Father…would you mind if Catherine and I joined you?"

Father hesitated a moment. "Well…I would like that, but you should ask Mary as well. I don't know how she will be feeling right now. She may not be up for any company."

"Of course, we'll ask. But either way, get your rest, and if there is anything that we can do for you, all you have to do is ask." With final hugs, the pair stood and left the chamber to go about their tasks.

The elders watched them go, and when they were gone, Father gave a relieved sigh, seeming to relax a bit. "Well, at least they don't seem overly put out with me. I was afraid perhaps my stupid stubbornness had gotten me in too deep this time."

"Hmm, Mary? I said before, I'll say again, I'm sure she'll come around. She just wasn't expecting that news and didn't take it the best. I don't think there's anything in the world you could do that would make her stop loving you. Cathy will calm her down, if she hasn't calmed already, and then I'm sure she'll come around. Until then, try not to worry. Stress isn't going to help your heart any. Would you like me to leave so you can try and rest?"

"No, please stay. I won't be able to really rest until I know for sure. You can keep me company until then."

Peter settled comfortably into the chair. "Of course, Jacob." The old friends sat and chatted about whatever random things came to their heads, doing their best to keep things as light as possible to put aside the drama that had all just unfolded.

Meanwhile, Vincent and Catherine went out to the Tunnels to take care of their jobs. "Alright, I'll go talk to Mary, you can talk to William, and we'll meet back in our chamber. Sound good?"

Vincent nodded. "Yes. Will you be alright?" he asked with concern.

She gave him a smile. "I'll be fine. I won't say that I'm not hurting, but…"

"I understand. I feel the same way." He wrapped her in a hug. "See you soon."

She nodded, returning the hug. As they parted, she headed toward the Mirror Pool, hoping that Mary was still there. Thankfully, she was. As Catherine walked over, Mary noticed the evidence of her previous tears and gave a knowing nod. "So, he told you, then."

Catherine nodded, sitting down beside her. "Yes, he did. Mary, I'm so sorry. It's hard enough for me and Vincent, I can't even imagine what it must be like for you." She pulled the older woman into a hug.

Mary gave a sad smile, returning the hug. "Oh, it hurts like hell, but….I'm pretty sure I over reacted when he told me." She looked rather embarrassed. "I'm afraid I yelled at him, then ran out of the room."

Catherine gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sure he understands, Mary. And he's sorry, too. I think he realizes that he made a mistake, but…it's not an easy situation. I can understand why he wouldn't want to tell us something like that."

Mary nodded. "I know. I don't really blame him for it. I was just….so shocked, and scared and…." She looked up at Catherine, tears in her eyes. "Catherine, I don't know what I'm going to do without him."

Not really having an answer, Catherine pulled her into another hug. "I know. I think we all feel that way right now. But I promise that you won't be alone. We'll be right here for you. And…" A thought occurred to her. "If it becomes too hard for you, living down here without him, you can always move into the house with us."

Mary pulled back in shock. "Catherine, are you sure?"

"Of course. I mean, we're not going to force you, if you want to stay here. But we've got plenty of room. It wouldn't be any problem to have you with us."

Mary gave her a smile. "Thank you, dear. It's not many women who would invite their mother-in-law to come live with them."

Catherine chuckled. "Well, that may be true, but you know I love you like my own mother. I want you to be happy, and if that means moving you in with us, I'm perfectly ok with that. Now, are you ready to go back and talk to Father?"

Mary took a deep breath before nodding. "Yes, I think so."

"Alright, let's go." The two stood up and made their way back toward the study. "Oh, by the way, Father asked Vincent to ask William to have trays brought for you and him. Says he's not feeling up to go to the Dining Chamber tonight. And Vincent and I asked about joining you. Father said it was alright with him, as long as it's alright with you. If you'd rather have the time alone with him, we'll understand."

Giving a smile, Mary took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "No, that's alright, dear. I agree, I don't feel up to a lot of company, but the two of you are always welcome."

Catherine nodded. "Alright. But we'll let you have some time alone before dinner so you can work out what you need to."

Mary nodded. "That would be appreciated. Thank you."

They made it to the study and paused just outside the entrance to their private chamber. "Are you ready?" Catherine asked.

Mary took a deep breath and let it out as she nodded. "As ready as I'm going to be."

"Alright. Well, I'm going to go join Vincent in our chamber until dinner." She gave Mary one last hug. "It's going to be alright. You're not alone."

Mary returned it, sighting a little. "I know, dear. I'll be ok." Pulling out of the hug, she gave her a little smile before heading into the bedchamber.

Hearing her enter, both men looked up. Seeing that Mary seemed much calmer than she had when she left, Peter stood up, deciding to let the couple have some time alone. "I'll let you two talk."

"Catherine was going to meet Vincent in their chamber, if you wanted to go visit with them," Mary offered.

Peter nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. See you both for dinner?"

"Of course. They're joining us as well, so you're welcome."

"Alright. I'll see you both then." With that, he left the chamber and caught Catherine just as she was leaving the study. "Cathy. Hold up, I'll join you."

Hearing him call, Catherine stopped and waited, turning to watch him. He could see the emotions playing in her eyes, even if she was trying her best to hide them. He'd known her literally all her life. There was little she could hide from him. Reaching her, he put an arm around her shoulder. "You ok, sweetheart?"

Letting out a breath, she nodded. "Yes, as ok as I can be. I mean, I don't think anyone could be perfectly ok after that sort of news."

Peter shook his head. "No, of course not. Come on. Let's go meet Vincent, then we can talk a little."

The pair made their way down the tunnel to Vincent and Catherine's chamber. When they entered, Vincent was already there, and Catherine left Peter to step into Vincent's arms. He easily pulled her into his embrace, holding her close. "How is Mary?"

Catherine pulled back a little. "As well as can be expected, I think. She's pretty upset, but who wouldn't be. I know I'm not exactly at my happiest right now."

Vincent lowered his head. "No, neither am I. But we will make it through, together."

She nodded. "That's what I told Mary. I just wish there was something we could do or that we knew what to expect."

Peter spoke up now. "Well, I can help you with that, at least to a degree. Sit down." The couple sat on the edge of the bed while Peter made himself comfortable in Vincent's large chair. Once they were seated, he went into physician mode. "Alright. Well, with a condition like Jacob's, it's actually a relatively gentle way to die. Certainly better than say cancer. The valve between his ventricle and aorta isn't doing its job anymore, letting blood flow back into the heart instead of out into his body like it should. This is just going to get worse until the end. Because of this, it makes it difficult for his body to get the oxygen it needs. That's why he fainted earlier. In the end, it technically won't be the valve that kills him. It'll either be his heart or lungs or both giving out eventually from having to work too hard to compensate. But the likely way I see the end coming is that he'll just be feeling weak and tired, decide to go to sleep, and…..he just won't wake up. Peaceful and quiet. Honestly, when my time comes, I wouldn't mind going that way."

The couple let this news sink in for a moment. "And…will we know when…his time comes?"

"Well, you might not know the exact time, but you'll know when it's getting close. I might end up having to put him on oxygen near the end, if he'll agree to it, and he'll likely get very weak, possibly even bedridden by then. So it won't entirely be a surprise, like he seems perfectly fine and healthy one moment, then he goes to bed and is gone. You'll have some warning. As for what you can do….Just be there for him. Make sure that he knows he's not alone, but give him his space if he needs it. And not just for him. Let him know that the family's going to be taken care of once he's gone, especially Mary. It may not seem like much, but I'm sure that's going to be one of his biggest worries. Not what's going to happen to him, but what will happen to everyone else once he's no longer with us."

"I've already sort of seen to that. I offered that if it became too difficult for Mary to stay here, that she could come live up in the house with us." She turned to Vincent. "I hope you don't mind. I know you love her as much as I do."

"Of course I don't mind, Catherine. That was a very generous offer. Just know that she may not accept. After all, this has been her home for most of her life. She may choose to go back to her original chamber, but I don't know if she'll want to leave completely."

"Oh, I know. But I figured I would make the offer anyway. If she doesn't want to, that's fine, but if she does feel the need to leave, she knows she has the option."

"That was actually a good idea, Cathy. And very kind. I know it's not going to be easy for anyone in the community to lose him, but I truly believe that you three, Jake, Carrie and Devin are going to be hit the hardest. After all, as close as he is to almost everyone in this community, Jacob is your family. But I know you all, you'll make it through together."

That was when something hit Catherine. "Oh God. Devin and the kids. How are we going to tell them? _When_ are we going to tell them?"

Vincent wrapped Catherine in a hug. "It's alright, Catherine. We'll figure it out. We can talk it over with Father and Mary later. But I'm sure whatever we decide, everything will work out."

While the trio sat and talked, back in the smaller chamber, there was another conversation going on. As soon as Peter had left, Father and Mary focused on each other. They were silent for a time, neither knowing exactly what to say. Finally, Father broke the ice. "Mary, my love, I'm so sorry. I was a fool…."

Breaking out of it, she came over, sitting by his side and pressing a finger to his lips. "No, Jacob. I understand. I may not agree with what you did, but I do understand why. But I love you, and that matters more than anything."

Tears welled in his eyes as he took her hand in his, holding it tightly. "Mary, please. Say that you forgive me for lying to you; for keeping this terrible secret."

She ran her free hand through his hair, smoothing it back. "Of course I forgive you, you old fool. Just promise me, no more lies or secrets; you will let me be there for you and with you….till the very end."

Father attempted a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not much time left for secrets or lies, I'm afraid. But I will be glad to have you by my side."

Finally, the reality became too much for Mary, and she broke down into sobs. "Oh, Jacob. What will I do without you?"

His own heart breaking, he pulled her close. "Shhh, don't talk like that, Mary. You'll get along well enough. I know you won't be alone. Our friends and family will make sure of that. You'll still have all the children to love and watch over, and your little gossip group you call your 'sewing circle'." He chuckled, but she could hear the tears in his own voice.

Mary managed a small giggle at his teasing. "Catherine offered to let me move into the house with her and Vincent….when the time comes."

Father felt his heart warm a little. Really, he knew that Vincent and Catherine loved Mary as their mother and would do whatever they could to look after her, but it was still nice to have the confirmation. "I see. Well, that's your decision to make, of course. Just know that, if you do go, you will have my blessing. I just want you to be happy with your life, and if you can't find it here, I understand. I would rather see you happy Above than drowning here."

"I don't know if I'll go or not. But for now, just know I'm not going anywhere. Not until after….." She choked on the words; on the very thought. "I promised when we married 'till death do us part', and I'll be at your side till the moment you're gone."

Overcome, Father pulled her close, gently kissing her before shifting so their heads were resting on each other's shoulders. The couple sat there, holding each other, crying and consoling one another. They exchanged words of love and comfort, knowing that soon they wouldn't be able to do this simple thing anymore.

Eventually, dinner time came and the family gathered in the study. Peter, Vincent and Catherine were all relieved to see that Mary and Father seemed to have made up. They didn't want these two to fight ever, much less when they had so little time left.

The family sat down together at the large table, talking a little while they waited for the trays to be brought. When they were brought, they weren't all that surprised to see that one of the bearers was Samantha, accompanied by a young boy named Kyle. Samantha made sure that she got to be the one to give Father his tray, and after setting it down, she looked him over carefully. "Are you feeling better, Father?"

He gave the young woman a smile. "Yes, Samantha. I'm better now."

Still concerned, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're sure? There's nothing I can get or do for you?"

His smile turned slightly pained as he took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Yes, I'm sure, and no. Thank you, Samantha. This meal and some rest is all I need right now."

She wasn't entirely sure she believed him, something still feeling off, but she knew him well enough to know that if he didn't feel like telling her something, then there was no getting it out of him. Sighing a little, she nodded. "Alright, Father. But if you need anything, let me know."

"I will. Go on now, don't want to keep you from your own dinner. You too, Kyle. Run along."

Samantha bent to kiss Father's cheek before taking Kyle's hand and leading him out of the chamber. When they were in the tunnel, the boy looked up at the woman. "Samantha, is something wrong with Grandfather?"

Samantha bit her lip a little, thinking over her answer. Something inside told her that something was wrong, but she didn't know for sure, and she didn't want to frighten the boy with her unsubstantiated fears. "I don't know, Kyle. But he has Mary and Peter and Vincent and Catherine with him. I'm sure they'll help him with anything and take care of him. Don't worry, alright? He's probably just a little sick."

In the study, the family tried to keep the conversation light while they ate, not wanting to spoil their dinner when they all knew that they needed to eat. But when they were done eating and the conversation lapsed a bit, Catherine plucked up her courage. "So…before dinner….something occurred to me. Alright, you've told the four of us, and that's good. But…what about everyone else? I mean, we can't just continue on like this and not tell the rest of the community. And what about Devin and the kids? We can't not tell them."

Father sighed, nodding. "Yes, I know you're right. I've been thinking the same thing as well. I know I need to tell them, but….I also don't want to disrupt their lives either. Jake and Carrie are both in school, and Devin has his job."

"Yes, that's true. But the semester is almost over. Jake is set to graduate in two more weeks," Vincent reminded him.

"Yes, that's true. Then he'll be going on to his residency," Father argued back.

"Yes, but you know he plans to do that right here at Belleview," Peter jumped in. "I happen to know the doctor who's in charge of the residents. I'm positive that if I talk to him…well, I can't get Jake out of it, and he would never forgive me if I tired, but I'm sure that Carl will be more than happy to work with him, especially….when it's getting closer to the time."

"Alright. But Devin still has his job, and isn't Carrie planning on taking summer classes?"

"Since when has any particular job ever been that important to Devin? Besides, last I talked to him, it sounded like the one he has right now was coming to an end soon. And as for Carrie…she is, but she's still just a sophomore. If she wants to, she can afford to take the summer off without putting herself too far behind on anything. But, even if all of these things weren't true, don't you think you owe it to _them_ to let _them_ make the choice?" Catherine asked.

Peter looked into his old friend's eyes. "Look Jacob, I understand. You don't want a whole lot of fuss being made about all of this. But to be perfectly blunt, this isn't just about you, you know. It's also about the family and friends who love you who you'll be leaving behind when your time comes. Put yourself in their shoes. If you were them, would you want to know? Would you want the option of having that little bit of time to be with the person you love, to be able to make your peace and say goodbye before it was too late?"

Father sighed, looking down for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I suppose I am being a bit selfish. It's not that I don't want them here. I'd love the chance to say goodbye as well."

"Alright then, it's settled. We just need to figure out when and how we're going to tell them."

"Well, if Carrie's going to take the summer semester off, the sooner she gets everything taken care of to drop the classes, the better." Catherine thought briefly. "Well….tomorrow's Friday. Why don't you two come up to the house for dinner? We can call all three of them afterward. That way, they'll have the weekend to….work through everything. That is, if you're feeling up to it, Father."

He sighed a little. "Well, it sounds like a good plan. I don't know if I can walk all the way there, but we do have the wheelchair…."

Vincent nodded. "I can wheel you over, Father."

He nodded. "Thank you. Then…..I suppose the next night, we can tell the rest of the community."

"We can be here with you for that if you want. Sort of a support and buffer," Catherine offered.

Father again nodded. "I would appreciate it, if it's no trouble. Thank you."

Peter piped in. "And I'll be by either tomorrow or Saturday with some medicine for you. It can't cure anything, but it can slow things down a little, give you a bit more time."

"Thank you, Peter. I appreciate it." Then Father gave them all a serious look. "Now, one thing I want you all to promise me. I don't want my condition to be any more of a disruption to our normal lives than it has to be. We will all continue on as if nothing were happening, do you understand? Even after we tell the family."

"Very well, Father. If that's what you want. We'll do as you ask, for now at least."

Plans were made for the next two days before Peter, Vincent and Catherine left to allow Father to get the rest he needed. When they reached the area where they had to part, they paused and Peter looked at the couple. "Are you two going to be alright?"

The couple looked at each other for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I think so. At least we have each other. What about you? I mean, he is your oldest friend."

Peter smiled a little. "Yes, that's true. But I've known this was coming for a couple months now, so I was a bit more prepared. I can't say I'm happy or anything like that, but…."

"Alright. But with all your looking out for everyone else, don't forget to take care of yourself. If there's anything we can do…"

"Of course, sweetheart. Don't worry about me." With hugs, the trio parted to their own homes to try and settle in for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Alright, sorry that this has taken so long to get out. Real life got in the way, between IRL personal loss that made it too emotional to write on this for a while, plus the insanity of the holidays. Now, I realize that chunks of this are a bit repetitive, but bear with me. I promise, the next section won't take as long to get out.

The next day, Catherine went to work in the office just as Father requested, but that didn't mean that her heart was completely in her job. She was worrying about that evening and the next. How would their friends in the Tunnel Community react to the news that their leader was ill? Even worse, how would her children react to learning that their grandfather was dying, or Devin that he was soon to lose his father? But, she was the deputy DA, and she had a job to do, so she was going to do it to the best of her abilities.

Still, DA Joe Maxwell had been her colleague and best friend for almost 30 years, and he knew when something wasn't right with her. He could tell that something was bothering her, and for it to be distracting her from work like this, it had to be something major. She was usually so dedicated, that was why he had chosen her to be his deputy.

Seeing that things weren't getting any better as the day progressed, and if anything were getting worse, that afternoon, Joe went to her office and knocked on her door. "Come in." He pushed open the door and saw her sitting behind her desk, appearing to go over a file, but with a bit of a distracted air to her that wasn't normal. Glancing up and seeing her boss/friend standing there, Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Joe. What's up?"

"I was gonna ask you that," he quipped.

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow. "What do I mean?" Stepping further into the office, he closed the door. He knew her desire and, at times, need for secrecy, having been introduced to the Tunnel World shortly before her marriage to Vincent. He didn't know for sure that what was bothering her had to do with the Tunnels or the residents thereof, but considering a bulk of her friends were there, it was a decent guess. And even if he was wrong, she wasn't the type that liked spilling her private life to the whole world. "What I mean is you've been acting distracted all day. Don't get me wrong, you seem to be doing alright with your work, but I can tell something's bugging you. So, what is it, Radcliffe? Everything alright at home?" By 'home' he also meant the Tunnels, and he was sure that she understood.

Catherine sighed. She really didn't want to go behind Father's back and tell Joe when no one else knew yet, but on the other hand, she couldn't lie to him, and really didn't want to. "Alright. Father forgive me, but I'll tell you. You just have to promise me not to go spreading it around. Very few know yet."

The serious tone of her voice instantly pulled any intent of teasing out of him and Joe stepped forward to lean against her desk. "Of course, Cathy. After all these years, you know I can keep a secret. What's going on?"

She took a deep breath to steady herself before speaking. She didn't want to lose it right here in the middle of work, even if they were in her mostly private office. "We...got some bad news last night."

Joe frowned. 'Bad news' could be any of a million things, but given the way she'd been acting all day and the way she was now, it made it seem like it was something fairly serious. Still, as was his way, he tried to go for a little levity to lighten the situation for her. "What? Is somebody dying'?"

Catherine gave a pained smile, but she didn't blame Joe. She knew he didn't mean to be insensitive. He had no way of knowing, and it was his way to try and use humor. "Yes, actually."

Joe was a bit shaken by the revelation. He knew there were several members of the community who were getting up there, but he still hadn't been expecting that answer. "Oh, damn. I'm sorry, Cathy. Who is it?"

She gave him a smile, letting him know she wasn't upset with him. "It's alright. And...it's Father."

Joe's eyes went wide with shock. "What? Jacob's dying? Man, I thought by pure stubbornness alone, the old man would live forever. What's he got?"

Catherine chuckled a little at the joke, knowing exactly how he felt. "I know what you mean. And...I speak legalese, not medical mumbo jumbo, so I didn't understand half the details, but...it's something with his heart, one of the valves not working right. I guess he's had the problem in a minor form most of his life, but as he's getting older, it's getting worse. Apparently, it's gotten so bad now, Peter says eventually his heart is going to give out."

Joe was still in shock at this revelation, trying to make it all make sense in his head. "My God. And...how much longer do they think he's got?"

Catherine shrugged. "Peter says about two months."

Joe was flabbergasted, nearly collapsing on the desk. "Two months? Wow. I...I can't believe it. Who all knows right now?"

"Right now, just Father, Peter, Mary, Vincent and me. We're planning on calling Devin and the kids tonight, then we're going to make the big announcement tomorrow after dinner. I don't know how he plans on getting the news out to the Helpers, but…"

"Geeze. How are Mary and Vincent taking the news?"

Catherine shrugged. "About as well as can be expected. Mary was pretty upset, but I think part of it was apparently Peter had told Father already a couple months ago that his heart was deteriorating, but he kept it a secret until yesterday. But she's over that now. I know they're both hurting, just like I am, but we're all determined that we're going to make the most out of whatever time we have left."

Joe snorted a little. "Well, I don't blame Mary for being ticked. If I was in her shoes, I'd be pissed too.

But what finally made him decide to let you in on it?"

"He wasn't given much of a choice. Apparently, he fainted in the study right in front of Mary and Samantha. They were able to wake him up and get him to bed, then they sent for Peter. When he confirmed that Father's heart was worse than the last time he checked, Mary was right there listening, so it wasn't like he could really hide anything. Then Vincent and I ran into Mary and eventually got let in on it too."

Joe snorted a little laugh. "The old fool. In some ways, he's so brilliant, in others…"

Catherine chuckled too. "I know. He can be so dense sometimes. But we love him anyway."

Joe gave her a crooked grin. "Yeah, I know you do. He's a good man." He then turned serious again. "Listen, Cathy, if you need some time off to take care of things…"

She shook her head. "Thanks Joe. I appreciate it, but not right now. Father made it very clear last night that despite his condition, he wants us to keep going with our normal lives as much as possible, which for me means coming to work. But trust me, when the time gets closer, I'm probably going to fight him on that. Then I'll take you up on that offer."

He nodded, remembering what a tough time she'd had when her own father had passed after suffering a stroke. He knew it had been extremely hard on her, and had eventually learned that it was only an extended stay in the Tunnels and a posthumous visit from her father, whether real or dreamed, that had finally helped her to deal with the loss. True, this time she had a lot more warning and would likely get to say a proper goodbye while Father was still alive and conscious to be able to hear it, but that didn't mean that it was going to be easier. Not to mention that there were going to be a lot more people affected on a deeper level than when Charles Chandler had passed, and being their friend as well as the wife of the new leader, she was likely going to have to play some part in the community grieving as well. "Right. Well, you just let me know, keep me up on what's what, and I'll do my best to cover things for you, k?"

She gave him an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Joe. You're a great friend." A thought came to her. "Oh, would you mind if I ducked out a little early this afternoon? We're having Father and Mary up for dinner before we make the calls, and I need to go shopping and do the cooking before they get there."

Joe nodded. "Sure, Radcliffe. Just give me a little holler to let me know you're goin'."

"Can do. Thanks, boss."

Sensing that her emotions were still rather high, Joe leaned in and pulled her into a brotherly hug, offering what comfort he could. Catherine accepted it gratefully, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment, letting herself absorb the warmth of human touch and compassion that was always available at home, but usually so lacking here in the real world.

Sniffing back the tears that had threatened through most of the conversation, she eventually pulled back and wiped her eyes, pulling herself as back together as she could manage. "Well, I suppose if I'm going to leave early, I'd better get back to work so I can get as much done as possible before then. And I can take a couple of these files with me to look over this weekend."

He shrugged a bit. "Ehh, don't worry too much about it. Get what you can done today, and if you don't get anything else done till Monday, we'll manage. Nothing too hot cookin' right now anyway."

"Well, I'll take them anyway, just in case I do have the time and inclination. Now, if you expect me to get anything done before I leave, you'd better run along and let me get back to it."

Pushing up from the desk, he quickly came to attention "Yes, Ma'am. Running along." He made a big production of crossing the room, opening the door and going out, turning back to give her a goofy wave before closing it behind him.

Catherine couldn't help but laugh. That was one thing she loved about Joe. It didn't seem to matter how upset she became, he always seemed to be able to make her feel better. She sometimes wondered how things would have gone between them if Vincent had never come back into her life. She knew that he had held a torch for her in the early days and wondered if she would have been able to really fall in love with him if her heart hadn't already been taken. At times like these, she thought there was a strong possibility. But that was in another world, and they were both content with their close, loving friendship. Shaking her head a little, she returned to the file she'd been working on when he'd come in to check on her.

Later that afternoon, she shifted through the files she had, picking the ones that wouldn't require all that much thought or effort on her part so that she could get them out of the way no matter how things went this weekend. Once they were packed in her briefcase and the rest of the files were put away until Monday, she gathered up her things and headed out. Glancing out into the desk farm, she saw Joe talking to one of the newer lawyers. She walked into his line of sight, waiting for him to finish his conversation.

Joe glanced up and acknowledged her with a brief nod before continuing his discussion. "Alright, Jim. Sounds like a good plan. But it's too late in the day to work on it now. Have a good weekend, come back and hit it hard Monday, alright? Good work." He clapped the kid on the shoulder before turning to Catherine. "What's up, Radcliffe? Heading out?"

Catherine nodded. "Yup. Got what I could taken care of for the week. Got a few files for the weekend. See you Monday, alright?"

"Sure, kiddo. Take it easy, and if there's anything you need, let me know, alright?"

Catherine gave him a smile. "I will. Have a good weekend." With a wave for everyone, she took off, heading to the grocery store to pick up the supplies for the night.

Jim, the young intern that Joe had been talking to beforehand, snorted as Catherine left. "You know, I'd heard all these great stories about how intelligent and dedicated Catherine Chandler is, but what the heck? She's been flaky all day, now she's taking off early? I mean, granted, it _is_ Friday, but still, what's the big hurry? She got some big society party she has to go get ready for?"

Joe was instantly angry at the arrogant young man. "Listen, you little punk. You don't know Cathy at all. She is 100% dedicated to this office. In her early days here, she literally risked risked her life on multiple occasions to get the job done." He took a deep breath. 'Forgive me for this, Cath,' he thought before speaking again. "It's none of your business, and I'll knock in your teeth if you ever let on I told you, but it just so happens that she got some bad news last night."

Jim snorted. "Sure. And just what kind of 'bad news' would that be?"

"Her father-in-law is dying. He's got maybe two months left. She's going home early because she's having him and her mother-in-law over for dinner tonight so they can call her brother-in-law and her two kids to tell them the news. Now, if you have a problem with that, then you seriously have no heart. After almost 30 years of dedicated service, I don't see where it's such a big deal to accommodate her a little bit right now. I'd do it for any of my people. Now, instead of whining about things you know nothing about, why don't you get back to work?"

Jim gave a snort, but walked away anyway. "Huh, must be nice to be best friends with the boss."

Joe almost wanted to call the kid back to chew him out further, but decided to let it go. There were so many other ways that he could teach the little shit respect. Already starting to come up with a plot, he headed back to his office to finish off the week.

After picking up what she needed from the store, Catherine headed home. The first thing she did was to change clothes, getting out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable. Once she was changed, she headed down to the kitchen to start cooking. She was about half way through when the indicator light flicked. Smiling a little, she went over and flicked the switch that would flick the light in the basement.

A short time later, the door to the basement opened and Vincent came up. "Hello, Catherine."

She smiled when she saw him. "Hello, Vincent. I see you've been busy today." She looked over his dirty clothes, wrinkling her nose a little. She was used to him trailing dirt from long, hard days working in the deeper tunnels. Usually, though, he was kind enough to clean up Below if he got too dirty.

He gave a bit of a self-conscious smile, looking down at his clothes. "Yes, I know. But it'll probably be one of the last times. Even if things weren't the way they are, I'm getting a bit too old for a lot of this sort of work."

"You still look young and handsome to me, my love." Catherine stretched up to give him a kiss while avoiding getting dirty herself.

Vincent chuckled a little as he returned the kiss. "You are always kind, my Catherine. And you still look young and beautiful to me as well. But I should go get washed and changed before I have to go back down to bring Father and Mary up."

Catherine nodded. "Alright. And I'm working on dinner. It should be ready by the time you all get back. Oh, by the way...don't tell anyone else, ESPECIALLY Father, but I ended up telling Joe what's going on. He noticed that I was pretty down today and asked me what was going on. I could have lied to him, but you know how well that would have gone over with him."

Vincent snorted a laugh. "Yes. It's best not to lie to Joe. He always has a way of finding out the truth."

"Sure does. But I told him to keep it quiet at least for the next couple of days, until word gets put out more publicly, you know?"

"Good. I know we can trust him to keep it to himself for now. Well, I'd better get upstairs. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you."

"I'm fine, love. Go wash up." She went back to cooking while Vincent went upstairs to get cleaned and changed.

About a half hour later, he came down, looking much better than when he had gone up. "Well, you're looking much better."

"And your dinner is smelling wonderful."

Catherine smiled happily. "Thank you. And to think that before I met you, I barely knew how to cook."

Vincent smiled. "Well, we have William to thank for the teaching. I merely introduced you two."

"Hm, that's true. Well, you'd best get going. Dinner should be ready in about a half hour."

Vincent bowed his head. "Then I shall do my best to return with our guests before then. See you soon." He exited back down the basement door and returned to the Tunnels, making his way back to the study.

When he arrived, he found Father and Mary there, apparently ready to go and waiting for him. "Ah, there you are, Vincent. We heard the work crew you left with got back an hour ago. We were starting to wonder what had become of you."

"I'm sorry, Father. I went up to the house to bathe and change. I was rather dirty from the job."

"Well, that was rather silly of you, my boy. You could have cleaned and changed down here and saved yourself some time and the walk."

Vincent shrugged. "I know. But what's done is done, and we can't change that now. Are you two ready? When I left, Catherine said dinner would be ready in about half an hour."

Mary shifted her shawl as she stood from where she'd been sitting. "Well, I'm all ready to go. We left the chair out in the tunnel, since the stairs are so impractical."

Father snorted a little. "Honestly, I wish we could just leave it there and be done with it," he grumped.

Mary gave him a stern but sympathetic stare. "Now, Jacob…"

He sighed. "Yes, my dear. I know. It's still rather frustrating. I really don't feel that bad."

"But if you walked all the way to the house, you might not be feeling so well after." Mary put her arm around him. "I know you don't like it, darling, but be a dear and humor us. We want you around as long as possible, and if this can give us even a little more time, don't you think it's worth it?"

Father sighed, knowing that he could rarely win an argument against her. "Very well. Let's get going." The group left the study, and just outside, folded against one of the walls, was a slightly aged but still sturdy wheelchair. It had been modified with pneumatic bike tires to make it a little easier to push and more comfortable to ride in in the rough Tunnel terrain. It had been used a few times by a few different residents over the years, but spent a majority of its time folded up in a storage chamber near the hospital chamber.

Vincent quickly unfolded the chair and held it steady for Father as grudgingly sat down. Once he was seated, Vincent put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't take it too hard, Father. It's really nothing to be ashamed of."

Father sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be such an old grump." Taking a breath, he tried to pick himself up, emotionally. "Well, let's get going, shall we? Wouldn't want to keep dear Catherine waiting."

The trio made their way through the tunnels to the house's basement. When they reached the back of the hidden door, Vincent stopped the chair. Father got out and flicked the switch to alert Catherine they were here while Vincent folded the chair and left it against the tunnel wall, then, having received Catherine's acknowledgment, they made their way upstairs to the house.

Catherine was waiting for them when they came up. "Mary, Father, come on in, make yourselves at home."

"Thank you for having us, dear. Is there anything we can do to help?" Mary asked.

Catherine thought quickly. "Well, dinner is just about done, but Vincent, you could set the table. Mary, would you mind helping with the salad?"

"Of course, dear. Leave it to me." Mary quickly set about pulling ot all the ingredients and preparing the salad.

Vincent went to the cupboard and started pulling out the dishes while Father went to the drawer and pulled out the silverware. When they glanced at him, he merely returned it with a bit of a glare. "What? I'm not such a feeble, doddering old fool that I can't manage to put silverware on the table."

Mary gave him a gentle smile as she went back to cutting vegetables. "Now, Jacob. No need to be so testy. We worry because we love you. I'm afraid you're just going to get used to us."

Father snorted a bit of a laugh, then went back to helping Vincent set the table. A short time later, dinner was on the table and the four sat down. "It smells delicious, Catherine. What have you made?"

Taking the lid off a pan, they got a good whiff of what was inside. "Turkey tacos. It's peppers, onions, ground turkey, taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn and black beans, and I've got some salsa and cheese for on the side if you like." She took the foil packet and opened it. "Here's the tortillas. I warmed them in the oven, so they should be nice and soft. Dig in, everyone."

They all did just that, chatting about this and that while they ate; normal dinner conversation. When they had all eaten their fill, they sat back. "That was a wonderful meal, Catherine."

"Thank you very much. I'm glad you liked it." She smiled as she stood and started clearing the plates.

Mary was quickly up as well. "Here, let me help, dear."

It didn't take long for the table to be cleared and the leftovers put away. "Well, I'm going to wait on the dishes for a little while." She checked the time. "It's nearly 7. I'm sure the children are back by now. Of course, it's up to you if you'd like to wait a little longer…"

Father shook his head. "No. Waiting only puts of the inevitable. I suppose it's best to just get it over with."

"Alright. Well, my phone book's in the office. Shall we?" The little group made their way to the room and Catherine dug the spiral bound book out of the desk, setting it on the top and flipping it to the page with the relevant numbers. "Alright, here we go." She hesitated a moment, looking at Father. "Would you like some privacy?"

The old man came around behind the desk, his eyes focused on the book. "Actually...I think I could use the support, if you don't mind."

"Of course not, Father. We will stay if you wish." Vincent grabbed a couple of chairs to put around the desk.

Once everyone was seated, Father took a breath before finding the first number, picking up the phone and dialing. After the first ring, he hit the button that would put the phone on speaker so that they could all hear and talk at the same time.

Three rings later, it was answered, a young man on the other end. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hello, Jake. How are you?"

The young man was momentarily startled. "Grandfather? Wow, this is a surprise. I mean, not that it's not great to hear from you, just...I wasn't expecting it. Is everything ok? Mom and Dad…"

"We're both here, sweetheart. GrandMary too. We're fine."

Jake let out a breath, having been a bit nervous. "Well, that's good. So, great to hear from you all. What's going on, having a big party at the house or what?"

"Well, your mother did invite Mary and me up for dinner, but not for any party. There's actually...something that I need to tell you. Something I've been keeping hidden from everybody for the last couple months."

Jake was once again back to being nervous. "I...really? And...what's that?"

"Jake, I've been thinking since yesterday the best way to say this. I've come to the conclusion that there's no easy way, so I'm just going to come out and say it. I've had a heart condition at least since I was your age. I've known about it, but it's never really been a problem. Until a couple of months ago, when I started noticing symptoms. It seems my condition is getting worse. Peter confirmed then, and again yesterday afternoon. You see, Jake...I'm dying."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment as Jake tried to let those words sink in. Of course, the rational part of him knew that his grandfather was an old man, and that, eventually, everyone has to die. But for it to be happening now, like this… "What *ahem* What sort of heart condition is it?"

"An atrial regurgitation. As I said, I've had a mild case of it for most of my life. I knew it was there, but it was nothing I usually noticed or that really slowed me down any. But a couple of months ago, I started noticing some early signs, and Peter listened and confirmed what I feared. Then yesterday...I had a bit of a spell, and when he came down, Peter checked me again and said that it's even worse than it was the last time."

How...how much longer does Grandpa think…" Jake knew better than to ask about treatments. Being just a couple weeks short of officially being a doctor, he knew what the only possible treatment for an AR at this stage would be, and he also knew that there was no way his grandfather would agree to such a thing, even if it cost him his life.

"We're thinking about two months, if things continue on the way they have."

"Oh, Grandfather, I…" Jake's voice broke.

"No. No, my boy, it's alright. I've made my peace with what's happening. It's alright."

"Is there anything I can do? I can see about getting a flight home tonight, and…"

Father interrupted him. "Don't you dare, Jacob. You stay right there. School is almost over, then you'll be graduated and can come home with your doctorate and won't have to worry about school anymore. I promise you, I'm not going to die before then." Though he started out forceful, by the end, his words were a gentle promise.

Jake hesitated a moment. "Are you sure, Grandfather?"

"Yes, perfectly sure. I promise, I'm going to be just fine for now."

"Don't you worry, honey. We're taking good care of him. We'll make sure that he behaves himself. Everything will be alright," Catherine assured.

Jake sighed. He knew that if the rest of the family was backing his grandfather, he likely wouldn't be able to do anything to change their minds. "Alright, if that's what you want. But we're coming home right after graduation."

"That's already planned. Our tickets are for the day after. We figured it would be too much to try and come home the same day."

"Ok. Grandfather, you be sure to take good care of yourself, listen to what Grandpa has to say, and don't give the rest of the family too much trouble, alright?"

Father chuckled a little. "Yes, _Doctor_. You just worry about your finals and graduating. I'll see you in two weeks, alright?"

"Alright. I love you, Grandfather."

"And I love you, Jake." They all said quick goodbyes then hung up.

"Well, he seemed to take that rather well," Vincent commented.

"Yes, well. He is a doctor. Or nearly so. It's something that we're taught; to set our emotions aside. That was why I called him first. I knew he would likely be the easiest. He understands my condition better." He took a breath, letting it out. "It's only going to get harder from here."

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Jake sat in the living room of his apartment, shock over what he had just learned still washing over him. One of his roommates walked in and saw the look on his face. "Hey, JW, everything alright, man?"

Shaking himself out of it, Jake looked at his friend for a moment before shaking his head. "Not really, Mark. I...just got some bad news from home."

Mark gave a cocky smile. "What's the matter, someone die?"

Jake gave a pained smile. "Not yet, but fairly soon."

Mark's face fell as he realized he'd just put his foot in it. "Shit. I'm so sorry, man. Who?"

"My grandfather."

"Oh. Well, I know it still sucks, but...at least he's old, you know? He's had a long, good life. It's not like...say your mom or sister or someone who's still young. Doesn't make it much less painful, but…"

Jake nodded. "Yeah. I mean, Grandfather is 94, so it should be kind of expected, but...it just caught me so off guard, you know? He's always seemed so healthy, and now…"

They were silent for a few moments before Mark set down the pile of books he was carrying. "You know what? Forget about studying. Tonight, you just need to get out and forget for a while. What do you say? We'll call the gang and go anywhere you want. One night won't kill us, we're all doing well."

Jake shook his head. "I don't know, dude. I don't know if I'm feeling up to dealing with a bunch of people."

"Hey, we're not just people. We're your friends and we care about you. You need cheering up. Do you really think your grandfather would want you to sit around here moping, now would he?"

Jake couldn't help a bit of a smile. "No, he wouldn't."

Mark saw the chink in Jake's armor. "Come on. We'll go wherever you want. Even that...English pub you like so much."

Jake sighed a little. Eventually, he gave in. "Yeah, alright. I can't promise that I'll stay out all that long, but...I'll go."

Mark smiled. "Great. You go get yourself pulled together, I'll call the gang."

Jake smirked. "Right, man." He headed off to his room to change.

When he was gone, Mark pulled out his phone and started calling.

"Hey, Mark. What's up?"

"Hey, Tina. Listen, Jake just got bad news from home. Apparently his grandfather's dying."

"Oh no. That's too bad. I know Jake and his whole family are, like, ridiculously close."

"Yeah, that's why I was figuring we'd take him out, let him drink through the pain, ya know? Grab the rest of the gang and we'll meet you at Smith's, alright?"

"Yeah, we'll be there."

While those in California were getting ready to go out, in Philadelphia, another phone was ringing. "Hey, Mama. What's up?"

"Hey, Carebear. Got the whole family on this end."

Carrie was surprised by this. "Really? Wow. What's the occasion?"

"Carrie, my dear, I have something to tell you, but I'm afraid it's not something that will be easy for you to hear." Father didn't know how this was going to go, but he had a feeling that his granddaughter wouldn't take the news as well as his grandson had.

Carrie could feel her heart starting to drop at his words. "Grandfather, what's going on? You're kinda scaring me."

Father sighed. "I'm sorry, darling. I really don't mean to. But...I'm afraid I have some bad news. You see, I've been ill for a while now. It's been steadily getting worse. I didn't want to distract you or your brother from your education, but the time for secrets is past. You see, sweetheart...I'm dying."

Carrie's heart had been steadily sinking with every word Father said, but at the end, she felt it fall completely into the pit of her stomach. "Wha...what? Grandfather, no. You...you can't be."

"I'm afraid so, dear. I've had a heart condition all my life, but now it's gotten worse. My heart is failing."

Carrie choked back a sob, trying her best to make sense of it all. "Alright. I'll be home tomorrow afternoon. I can pack tonight and catch a plane out in the morning. I'll call the office on Monday, and…"

"No. Carrie, don't."

"But Grandfather, you can't just expect me to stay here while you…"

"Carrie, I'm not dying that fast. Your grandpa is fairly certain I still have two months left. You can finish your semester and still be home in plenty of time."

Carrie nodded a little. "Alright. Fine, I'll finish out the semester, then I'm coming straight home. I'm sure Jake'll understand me not going to his graduation under the circumstances."

"No, you're going to the graduation. I can't fly in my condition, so GrandMary and I are going to stay home and watch over Skype with your father. Your mother is going to be there all alone if you don't go. My dear, I understand that you want to get home as soon as possible. I want you here, too. But it'll only be another couple of days. I promise you, I'll still be alive and kicking long after you get back."

She sighed. "Alright. If it's what you really want, and you promise that you'll be alright."

"We're taking good care of him, baby. Don't you worry. We'll make sure that he sticks around," Catherine assured her daughter.

"But I'm taking the summer off. If Grandpa's right, I don't want to be stuck in the middle of classes here in Phillie while…"

"That's fine, Carrie. We won't fight you on that." Vincent gave Father a look that warned him against contradicting him.

"If that's what you want, my dear, we'd love to have you home for the summer," Father agreed.

"Good. Please, let me know if anything happens, won't you?"

"We will, sweetheart. But don't go panicking if you don't hear from us, alright? No news is good news. Grandfather is still in fairly decent condition, all things considered, so don't worry. Trust Grandpa's judgment."

"I'll try. I love you, Grandfather."

"I love you too, my sweet girl. I'll see you after the graduation, I promise."

They hung up and Carrie sat on her dorm bed, not knowing what to do. When her roommate, Mila, Came in, she found her still looking lost. The pair had become good friends over the school year, and she was concerned. "Carrie? You alright?" When Carrie looked up at her with heartbroken eyes, Mila felt her heart go out to her. "Carebear, what's wrong? Did somebody die?"

Carrie shook her head. "Not yet. But I just found out...Grandfather's dying." Saying the words out loud made the reality come crashing down around her, and the tears she had managed to hold back came flooding out in torrential sobs.

Mila sat next to Carrie on the bed, pulling her into a hug. "Oh, Carrie. I'm so sorry. Do you know how much longer he has?"

"They think...two months."

"Well, that's good. You can finish the semester, and still make it back home in plenty of time to see him again, right?"

Carrie nodded. "That's what they said. I wanted to leave already in the morning, but they said no."

"I get it. Look, Care, I know you're hurting, and I don't blame you. It's never easy to lose someone that you care about. But the way you talk about your family, they want what's best for you, they want you to follow your dreams and get an education. To duck out with two weeks left in the semester...it wouldn't look good. I mean, you might be able to come back from it, but...it would be hard. And if your grandfather has two months left, you'll get home with a month and a half left to be with him. I assume you won't be coming back for the summer semester?"

Carrie shook her head. "No. They agreed to that much."

"Good. Then you can be with him through to the end. Until then, why don't you take the rest of the day and just relax, alright? Let it all out and don't stress about school or anything else. Then come Monday, you'll be able to focus on finishing your classes. One step, one day at a time. You'll make it through."

Carrie nodded. "You're right. I will." After a moment, her face crumpled. "But I miss him already." She started crying again, leaning into Mila.

Mila wrapped her arms around Carrie. "I know, Care. And you probably always will. But you'll learn to live with it. It'll be alright."

The scene was a little more controlled in New York, but still emotional. Seeing the tears that Father was fighting back, Mary put an arm around his shoulders. "Jacob, you did what you had to. You said yourself, there's no easy way to deliver that sort of news. And it's better that she knows now."

Father snorted a little. "Is it? Is it really?"

Catherine sat forward. "Yes, it is. She was either going to find out now or when she comes home on break. Either way, chances are that she'd end up doing the same thing she's planning on doing now. Only it'll be much easier to drop her summer classes now, while the staff are all still there and all that."

"I just...worry about her, all alone there, worrying about me. I don't want to be a disruption to her, especially with finals coming so soon."

"She's not alone, not entirely. She has friends there, you know that. She's gotten very close to her roommate, Mila. I'm sure she'll take care of her. And we can keep checking in on her, just to make sure. And Carrie's strong. She'll pull through just fine, you'll see."

Releasing a breath, Father nodded. "Yes, you're right. Doesn't make inflicting that kind of pain any easier, but…" His gaze turned to the phone. "I just have to do it one more time." Picking the phone up again, he dialed the last number.

"Hey there, my fam. How's it going'?"

"Devin, my boy. It's good to hear your voice."

"Pop! Hey, this is a surprise. A good one, though. What brings you up to the house?" He realized there was something in the tone of his father's voice. "Is everything alright? You don't sound so great."

Father gave a small chuckle. Leave it to Devin to be so perceptive. "I'm afraid it's been a rather...difficult two days. I just got off the phone with Carrie a few minutes ago, and I was talking to Jake before that."

"Ok, Pop. I'm not a little kid, I can tell you're beating around the bush about something here. What's going on? What's been going on the last two days, and why were you talking to the kids?"

"Yesterday afternoon, I had a bit of a spell. Peter came down and checked me...I was telling the children the results of the test."

"And...what were the results?"

"I'm afraid it isn't good. I've had a heart murmur most of my life. It hasn't been a problem before, but over the past few months, it's been getting worse."

Devin was silent for a moment, letting the news process. "Alright. So...what does that mean? I mean, I know a heart murmur's not a good thing, and if you had a 'spell' yesterday… What are you and Peter going to do?"

"Devin...son, there is nothing that _can_ be done. If I had done it years ago, I could have had a valve replacement that might have changed things, but...I'm too old and weak for any surgery now."

Devin almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. His brain just wouldn't process the words. "So...what are you saying? I mean, if the only treatment is surgery, and that's not an option for you anymore…" Realization hit him. "No. Aw, no, Pop."

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Peter's going to bring me some medication that might give me some more time, but...I've got about two months left."

Devin was floored. "Two months? I...Pop, I just…"

"I know, son. It's alright. I've suspected for a while now, yesterday was just a confirmation. I'm not happy, but...I've more or less accepted it. There's nothing else that can be done, and I'm not going to waste what time I have left with regrets or fighting the inevitable."

There was silence for a short time. "Alright. Listen, I'll be home in about a week, ok? Is Cathy there?"

"I'm here, Dev. What's up?"

"I'm going to start packing up and sending the bulk of my stuff home. If I put it under your name, can you take care of it for me till I get there? Just throw the boxes where they won't be in your way, and I'll deal with them when I get there."

"Of course, no problem."

Father jumped in. "Now Devin, there's no need for such a...hasty, drastic step."

"It's not hasty, Pop. I thought I already told you that my current job is just about over. We should be done by the end of the week, then I can head home. I like it alright out here in Nevada, but I'm ready to move on. I just haven't decided where to yet. So, while I'm deciding, why not come home and be with you? It's not like the world is going anywhere. It'll still all be there in two months, or six. Hell, even a year from now. I don't wanna fight, Pop, but you're not changing my mind. I know for a fact that Jake's coming home to do his residency at Belleview, and I don't have any doubt that Carrie'll be home as soon as the semester is over. You gonna let them be there and not me?"

"I'm sorry, Devin. I didn't mean it to sound that way. I just don't want anyone to put their lives on hold because of this."

"Hey, in a week, my life'll be in transition anyway. Since I don't have plans, what's the difference if that transition is a couple of days or a couple of months? I've got plenty of money set aside for now, and I can always pick up little odd jobs out there if the need arises. There's always something in the New York area for a willing body. So, are we in agreement?"

"Yes, I believe so. If this is what you truly want to do. But don't be in any hurry to come home. The children won't be here for another two weeks, and I have at least another month after that. So take the time to finish your job properly and tie up any loose ends you may have there, alright?"

"Sure, Pop. But as I said, the job's just about done. I'll let you know for sure when I have a better idea, but I don't think I should be more than a week. I love you, old man. You take care of yourself and don't give the rest of the family too hard a time, alright?"

"I love you, too, Devin. I will take care of myself, but I make no promises on the second part," he chuckled a little.

Devin laughed while the others rolled their eyes. "Well, in that case, I give them my blessing to sit on you if you cause too much trouble. See you all soon. Love you all."

They hung up and Father let out a sigh. "Well, that's that. The family all knows now. Tomorrow we tell the community."

"Yes, and we should think about getting word out to the Helpers as well. You know many of them will want to know what's happening."

Father sighed but nodded. "True. The next few days are likely to be...rather difficult."

"But you won't have to face it alone. We'll be with you through it all."

"And I do appreciate that, more than anything. But it is getting a bit late. I think it's time Mary and I return home."

"Are you sure? You're welcome to spend the night if you want."

Father gave her a gentle smile. "Thank you, my dear, but no. I'll be more comfortable in my own bed."

Vincent and Catherine looked at each other, having a brief, silent conversation. "Well, you know, it is Friday night, I don't really have much work over the weekend. Give us time to take care of the dishes and get ready, then we'll go down with you."

Vincent nodded. "I agree. I think a weekend with the family sounds nice."

Knowing that he likely wouldn't win any argument here, Father gave in. "Very well. I suppose we can wait that long." The small group went back out to the kitchen, chatting while they washed, dried and put away the dishes.

Once everything else was taken care of, Catherine grabbed her briefcase and they all made their way down to the basement. With a slightly irritated but resigned sigh, Father settled into the wheelchair. Vincent smiled a little, stepping up behind Father and squeezing his shoulder before taking hold of the handles and steering out into the tunnel and making their way down to the main hub.

When they reached the study entrance, Vincent parked the chair, finally allowing Father out. "Thank you, Vincent. As much as I hate to admit it, I fear that walking would have been too much for me to handle."

"It's alright, Father. We understand. But I suppose we should say goodnight, and allow you to get some rest."

"Yes. Well, thank you both for a wonderful dinner and...well, as pleasant an evening as possible, under the circumstances. And...for everything else as well."

"You're more than welcome, Father. Family is always there for each other." The small group all said their goodnights, then the two couples parted to their separate chambers.

As they settled into bed together that night, Catherine propped herself up on her elbow, draping her other arm over him, her finger lazily drawing patterns on his chest. "Are you doing alright?"

He smiled, catching her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. "As well as I can. A bit better than yesterday. You?"

"Same. Though I do feel bad for Devin and the kids. It's hard enough to deal with all this, and we're right here. They're hundreds of miles away, and can't be here for a couple of weeks."

"I know. It's hard, but they'll be alright. And they'll be here soon."

"True. And I suppose the best way to deal with all of this is just take it all one day at a time."

"Indeed it is. And I would suggest that for now, the best course of action is a good night's sleep. Do you think you can manage that?" He gave her a bit of a smile, slipping his arm around her and pulling her down to his side.

She returned the smile, allowing him to pull her down and snuggling in. "Yes, with you here, I think I can manage. Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight, beloved." The pair kissed before laying down and drifting off to sleep.

The next day was mostly ordinary, the Wells clan doing their best to try and pretend that everything was normal, though many of the residents could tell that there was something wrong. But it wasn't until that evening that everyone would learn the truth of what was going on.

Peter joined them that afternoon, and when they went to dinner that night, they made sure that Father was in the middle, with Mary and Peter to one side of him, Vincent and Catherine on the other, making sure that there would be a bit of a protective barrier between him and the rest of the community. They knew that no one would want to intentionally hurt him, but they also knew that emotions were going to be very high after the announcement was made, and he didn't need the extra excitement.

They waited until after dinner, when most people had finished eating but hadn't yet left to go back to their chambers for the night, to make the announcement. When he was as ready as he was going to be, Father glanced at the rest of his family, silently asking if they were ready. They all gave nods of agreement and encouragement. Mary reached over to take his hand and he gave her a smile, bringing her hand up to kiss the back before taking a deep breath and standing. He held up his free hand. "My dear friends, if I could have your attention. I have an announcement to make." Everyone was immediately quiet and turned to see what the announcement would be.

Father had been thinking for the last two days about how best to tell them the news, and had decided that, as with the calls he had made yesterday, the direct approach would likely be the best. "Now, I'm sure that, since Thursday, the news has gotten around that I suffered a fainting spell that afternoon. It is quite true, and now it's time to tell you why I fainted. You see, I've been keeping a secret from you all, from everyone, for the last two months. I've had a heart condition for most of my life; a murmur, specifically an atrial regurgitation, for those of you who care to know. It's been fairly mild most of my life, and hasn't caused many problems. But two months ago, I started noticing that I was having more and stronger symptoms. Peter confirmed that it had become much worse. After I fainted Thursday, it has deteriorated even further. To make a long story short, I have about two months left to live."

There were gasps and exclamations of surprise and shock from all around the chamber. It was almost a full minute before any single voice could be made out over the others. "Father, are you serious?"

"Yes, of course. I would never lie about anything like that. As for why I've waited this long to say anything...I didn't even tell Mary, Vincent or Catherine until Thursday. We waited till today to tell all of you because I wanted to call Devin, Jake and Carrie first, which we did yesterday."

"Not to seem heartless, but...what will happen to us?"

"I understand. It's a natural concern. Nothing is going to happen. Everything will continue on as it is now. That is why I've been handing over the reigns to Vincent; in order to protect all of you and to make sure that there would be minimal disruption to your lives. I know this all sounds sudden and fast to you, but I've been working on this for a while. It'll be alright."

"How? How will this be alright, Father? You have always been out leader, our guide. Our friend and father."

Although he loved and appreciated the affection and trust in those words, it also felt like a knife being stabbed right through his heart. It was a few moments before he was able to get his emotions under control enough to be able to speak. "Oh, my dear… I appreciate your words, and I love all of you as well. I'm not saying that it will be an easy thing, but I'm sure you will all learn to cope and eventually move on. Look, my friends, I'm not dying tomorrow. There is still time to make sure that everything is settled."

Rebecca, who had remained silent up until now, stood up and slowly walked over. The Wells' kept a bit of an eye on her, though they knew gentle Rebecca was likely not going to cause problems. When she was close, she held her arms open a bit, looking Father in the eye, her own shining with tears. "Father, may I…?"

Giving her a gentle smile, Father stepped over and pulled her into his arms. He could feel her shaking with repressed emotions. "Shh, it's alright, dear. It's alright."

Those few words were all it took to break the control that Rebecca had, and she broke down crying, wrapping her arms around Father. He held her close, one arm wrapping around her back, the other hand cupping the back of her head, cradling her to his chest. "I know. I know, Rebecca. It's alright. Shhh." He held her, letting her cry herself out. When she had calmed, he pushed her back a little. "There now. Feel better?"

She smiled a little, shaking her head. "Not really."

Father chuckled, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I know. I understand." He turned his attention to the community as a whole. "But I want you all to know that I've made my peace with my fate. I will miss you all terribly, but I am content to know that my legacy, this world, my friends and family, will continue on. I don't expect you to be happy. I understand that sadness is a perfectly natural reaction. But try not to be too sad. I've had a long, full life."

There was more questions and comments, everyone trying to make sense of what they had just been told. There were more tears and much hugging, but by the time they finally left the dining chamber for the night, things were starting to settle into place.


	3. Chapter 3

Things began to settle over the weekend, and come Monday morning, there were some arrangements that needed to be made. First thing after breakfast and before classes, Carrie made her way to the office to drop her summer classes. She walked over to the secretary. "I'd like to talk to Mrs. Wolfe, please. I'm Caroline Wells."

"Of course, Miss Wells. Have a seat and she'll be with you in a few minutes."

Carrie went over to the chairs and sat down, waiting for the councilor to call for her. After a short time, the woman stuck her head out of her door. "Caroline, come on in."

Carrie stood and walked over. "Thank you." She took a seat in front of the desk while Mrs. Wolfe walked around behind it.

Once the councilor sat, she looked the young woman in the eye. "So, what can I do for you today?"

"I need to drop my summer classes."

Mrs. Wolfe's eyes widened a little. "May I ask why?" She quickly did a little tapping on the keyboard of her computer, pulling up Carrie's transcript and quickly glancing at it. "You seem do be doing quite well in all your current classes."

"I am, it's nothing like that. But...I got some bad news Friday night, and I need to go home at the end of the semester."

Mrs. Wolfe's expression turned to one of concern. "Really? Do you mind if I ask what that news was?"

Carrie took a deep breath, pulling down her emotions. It had gotten a little better since first finding out, but it still wasn't easy. "My grandfather is dying. He's got about two months left."

"Oh, Caroline, I'm so sorry. You want to take off the summer so you can go home and be with him. I understand perfectly." She was quiet for a moment before continuing on. "Well, now, are you planning on coming back for the fall semester?"

Carrie nodded. "Yes, as of right now. Of course, it'll all depend on how things really end up working out, and...after."

Mrs. Wolfe nodded. "Understandable. I really do hope you come back and continue on. I think you have real potential. But you can keep in touch with me via email, and if and when you are ready to come back, we can get you registered on the internet, then you won't have to come back till the beginning of the semester."

"Thank you, Mrs. Wolfe. I appreciate the help."

"You're welcome, dear. Now, why don't we get you dropped, so you'll be ready?" The pair set about taking care of the job, and a few minutes later, it was done. "There, all taken care of. Now, Caroline, you know I'm not just here to help students with their classes. I'm also here to help with...any other problems that might come up, including in their personal lives. I understand how difficult it must be to have someone you care about dying, and to be stuck hundreds of miles away from them, all alone."

Carrie managed a smile. "Thank you for your concern. I really do appreciate it. But I'm not exactly alone. My roommate, Mila, is a dear friend. She's been taking care of me this weekend."

Mrs. Wolfe smiled, nodding a bit. "Good. Well, I'm glad of that. It's helpful to have a support system at times like this. I know you're probably more comfortable talking to your friend, but if you ever need to bend anyone else's ear, I'm here for you, alright?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Wolfe. I appreciate that. This weekend was pretty rough, but I'm going to just try and focus on my classes as much as I can, so I can finish off, making Grandfather proud, then go home and be with him for as long as I can."

"That sounds like a good plan. Well, if you're alright and there's nothing else I can do for you, I'll let you get going. Just remember what I said, if there's anything else I can do for you."

"I will, and thank you." Getting up, she shook hands with the councilor, then left the office to get ready for class.

Devin had gone into work, as if it was just a normal day. The sooner he got the job done, the sooner he could go home to the Tunnels and be with his family. But that afternoon, the boss called him into the office. "So, Wells. It seems the job is almost over. I must say, you and the crew have done an excellent job."

Devin smiled. "Thank you, Sir. I always try my best."

"I can tell. And I appreciate men like you. Now, last I heard, this job should be done at the end of the week, right?

"That's the plan, yeah. Assuming that nothing happens to screw it up."

"Well, I trust you. And that's why I want to offer you a job as the lead on my next contract. We'll start to work in three weeks, so if we do get done like you think, you can have a two week vacation between jobs."

Devin sat back, shocked by the offer, but after a moment, he shook his head. "Look, Mr. Donatelli, I'm honored, really I am. But as soon as this job is over, I'm heading home to New York, and it'll beat least 2 or 3 months before I'll be leaving."

Mr. Donatelli frowned a little. "New York? That's where you're from, right?"

"Yeah. I just found out on Friday night that my old man's got about two months left, so as soon as I'm done here, I'm headin' home, and I'm not going anywhere until...after."

Donatelli nodded. "Well, that's certainly understandable, and I applaud your dedication to your family." He sighed a bit. "I'm disappointed that you won't be joining me on the next job, but I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing in your position. I hope everything works out as well as it can, and I'm sorry about your father."

"Thank you. It was a pretty bad shock, but he's not a young man anymore. Hasn't been in quite a long time. My oldest nephew is graduating from medical school in two weeks. He's had a good life, but still...you don't ever think it's going to happen, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it. It was pretty tough when I lost my dad a couple years back. But you'll make it threw. Well, I suppose I should let you get back to work, shouldn't I? The sooner we get done, the sooner you can get home to your family. But if you do come back out this way after, get back in touch with me and you'll always have a job."

"I appreciate that. I don't really know what I'm going to do after, but if I do come back, I'll definitely keep the offer in mind." He stood and held out his hand.

Donatelli stood and shook Devin's hand. "Well, best of luck to you."

Releasing hands, Devin left the office, going back to work with the rest of the crew.

That morning, in New York, Peter made a call to Belleview Hospital. "Belleview Hospital, how may I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like to talk to Doctor Carl Schluter, please."

"May I ask who's calling?"

"Tell him it's Doctor Peter Alcotte."

"One minute, Sir." The line went to classic 'hold' music for a minute before it was picked up.

"Peter, good to hear from you, old man."

Peter smiled. "Look who's calling whom old, Carl. You're no young buck yourself anymore, you know."

Carl chuckled. "Yeah, I know. As Marge is always reminding me. But to what do I owe the pleasure of this call so early in the morning?"

Peter sighed. "I'd like to talk to you, Carl. I've got...sort of a favor I'd like to ask of you."

Carl was instantly concerned. "Are you alright? What's going on?"

"No, I'm fine. It's not...exactly like that. Look, I'd feel better talking this over in person. Can we get together sometime soon?"

Carl quickly looked at his schedule. "Well, I think I can get away for a late lunch today, if nothing goes wrong. Say...around 1 at that little cafe on - Street?"

"That'll be perfect, Carl. Thank you."

"You know you've got me worried now, don't you, Peter? I'm going to be wondering what's going on until we talk."

Peter chuckled a little. "I promise, I'm perfectly well. Well, at least for a man my age. You don't need to worry about that."

"I still will though."

"I know you will. See you at 1."

When 1 O'clock came, Peter was sitting in the cafe, patiently waiting for the other physician's arrival. He came trotting in late, glanced around, found Peter and quickly joined him at the table. "Sorry I'm late. Things ended up running a little long."

Peter waved off the apology. "Don't worry about it. I may be more or less retired, but I remember how things work. You're here now, that's the important part."

The pair sat and a waitress was quickly with them. After ordering their meal, Carl looked Peter in the eye. "Now, why did you want to meet me? What's this favor you want? I know you said it's got nothing to do with your health..."

"No, it doesn't. It actually involves one of the new residents you'll be getting."

Carl raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't expected the conversation to take this turn. "Really? And which one would that be?"

"Jacob Wells."

"Wells? Wells... Yes, I think I remember seeing that name on the list. From what I remember, his file looks quite good. What about him?"

"Well, you see, he's more or less my grandson..."

Carl interrupted him. "More or less your grandson? How can someone be more or less your grandson?"

Peter smiled. "His maternal grandparents and I were friends from way back. I was the one who delivered his mother. But his grandmother died when his mother was just a young girl, and his grandfather died a couple years before he was born. Catherine was already as close to me as my own daughter, so I more or less took her under my wing after that."

Carl nodded in understanding. "I see. So then when she had Jacob, you naturally became his grandfather."

Peter nodded. "Exactly."

"Uh huh. Well, Peter, you know I consider you a good friend, but I don't do nepotism or anything like that. If I favor a resident, it's because of their own skill, not because of who they're related to. Especially with interns. He's going to have to earn his place just like the rest of them."

Peter shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, you're misunderstanding me, Carl. I'm not asking you to give him any special treatment. Well, not really."

Now Carl was confused. "Then what are you asking?"

Peter blew out a bit of a breath. "You see, his paternal grandfather has an AR murmur; has since I met him back when _we_ were in med school. The last few months, it's been getting steadily worse, and... Well, I just checked him again on Thursday, and...it's not good. I estimate the old boy has another two months left before it gives out."

Carl nodded. "I see. I'm sorry for your friend, and his family. But I don't see where I fit into this."

"Jacob Senior lives here in New York as well, and I was hoping that...when the time comes, you could see yourself giving Jake some slack, letting him maybe take a little time off to say goodbye and be with the family. You said yourself, you've seen his record, I tell you the boy's good. With both his grandfathers being doctors, who couldn't he be?" He smiled a bit.

Carl thought for a minute before he spoke. "Well, this is rather unusual, especially with interns. We usually like residents to be in their second year before we start letting them get a little more slack in their schedule. But...given the circumstances, I might be able to make an exception." He quickly held up a finger. "However, that doesn't mean that I'm going to take it easy on him otherwise. You say the old man has another two months to live, the kid will have to prove to me that he's worth it, and he'll have to make up for the absence when he comes back."

Peter nodded. "I understand that, and I'm sure Jake will, too. Actually, I have a feeling he's going to be rather upset with me when he finds out that I'm even asking this of you, but in the end, I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

"Is he close with his other grandfather?"

Peter smiled. "Our whole family is extremely close. I wasn't there when they called Jake and his sister to tell them the news, but I heard they took it pretty hard."

Carl raised an eyebrow. "He has a sister, huh? Where's she going to school?"

Peter chuckled. "Sorry, Carl. You won't be getting your hooks into Carrie. Jake's following Grandfather and Grandpa's tracks and becoming a doctor, but Carrie's following Mama into the law."

Carl chuckled and shrugged. "Well, you can't blame a man for trying. But her mother is a lawyer, you say?"

"Not just any lawyer. She's Catherine Chandler, Deputy District Attorney of Manhattan. And her grandfather was Charles Chandler of Chandler and Coolidge, the corporate firm."

Carl frowned. "Chandler? I thought the last name was Wells?"

"It is. Wells is Catherine's married name. But her husband is extremely shy, and since she made such a name for herself before she married him and has her father's legacy to back it up, she uses her maiden name for work and some other interactions."

"Ah, I see. Well, if young Jake Wells is as good as you claim he is and is willing to work for it, I don't see where it should be a problem to work with him to get him some time off for this. I'll talk to him once he gets started."

Peter let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you, Carl. Jacob would never ask it, but I know he'll appreciate being able to have his whole family around when the time comes."

Carl nodded. "It's rare that a person wants to meet their end alone. I always feel it's better when they can have those they love around." They were silent for a moment before he changed subjects. "So, now that that's settled, how have things been, outside your friend's condition?"

The two friends sat, eating and catching up until it was time for Carl to go back to work.

Notes

Stylistically, for those of you who read old books (the one that pops into my head is 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte, but possibly Dickens and other old stories) when they were talking about a specific location, but didn't want to give it a name (for whatever reason), they would right "it being in -shire of -county" or some such, with the "-" standing in for the specific name. Not being from anywhere near the area, I didn't feel like trying to do the research into Manhattan dining, so there you have it.

Ok, for those of you who don't know, I did a little bit of research, and it's not exactly inconsistency is writing for Peter and Carl to be using both the terms 'intern' and 'resident' almost interchangeably. From what I was able to find, an intern is simply a first year resident, so that is technically what Jake would be at this point, once he graduates.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok, so...sorry that this has taken so long. Between my muse up and abandoning me, my computer being out of commission for a while, all added up to a long delay. Now, unless anyone can give me any good plot bunnies for while Father's failing, I think there's only one more chapter left on this. Fair warning, you're likely going to need a box of Kleenex for it, because I have the ending more or less plotted out already, and...yeah.**

 **But I'm glad that those of you who have reviewed are enjoying it. Usually, I'm more a sucker for happy stories, but as I said right away, this was started as a dedication to the passing of Roy Dotrice, so, yeah, bittersweet.**

Within a couple of days, boxes started arriving at the brownstone. They stored them away in the spare room that Devin usually used when he came home for visits. Catherine and Vincent were a bit surprised at just how much stuff was arriving. He always bragged about living simple and being able to pick up and move on short notice. Catherine didn't see how. By the end of the week, she thought he perhaps had more than she had when she'd moved from her apartment.

Just over a week after the calls, Devin finally arrived home. Carrying the last few things in a couple duffel bags, he walked up to the door, ringing the bell. Shortly, Catherine answered. "Devin! I didn't know you were coming in today. If you'd told me, I would have picked you up." She stepped forward to give him a hug.

Smiling, Devin returned the hug. "I know, but that's alright. I wanted to surprise you all."

She chuckled, pulling back. "Well, you succeeded. Come on in." She stepped back, letting him enter before closing the door behind him.

"To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure anyone was going to be here. I was ready to dig out the spare key if I needed to."

"Well, you're timing is perfect. I just got home from work a little bit ago. I'm just going to get changed, then I'm heading down. If you don't mind waiting for me, we can go together."

"Sure thing, Cathy. Just let me put these bags down while you're changing."

"Well, if you want to stay here, you can have your usual room. We've put some of your boxes in there, the rest are in the basement."

Devin nodded. "Great. Thanks. You go do what you gotta do."

Catherine nodded. "You're welcome. I won't be long."

A short time later, the pair met up again downstairs. "Alright, sorry to keep you waiting. Are you ready to go?"

Devin waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Lead the way, Cath." The pair headed down to the basement and made their way into the Tunnels. At first, the conversation was light, common stuff catching up on goings on in their lives. But as they got closer to the main hub, Devin knew that the topic couldn't be avoided forever. Taking a deep breath, he steeled his nerves for what he was about to hear. "So, tell me the truth, Catherine. How is Pops really doing?"

Catherine gave him a sympathetic smile, understanding what he must be feeling. "Really, Devin, he's doing alright, all things considered. I mean, he's obviously not the way he was. He's weaker and gets more tired much easier, but still...if you didn't know him, you might think he was just a normal man in his 90s. As long as he doesn't push himself too hard or anything, and with the aid of the occasional nap, he's doing quite well."

Devin nodded, taking in her words. Though he believed her and knew that she would never lie to him, especially about something like that, but he wasn't going to be completely convinced until he saw his father for himself. Thankfully, it didn't take long for them to reach the study, and he paused outside for a moment to get himself under control before walking in.

Glancing around the large chamber, he saw Father sitting behind his desk, reading a book. Pulling up a smile, Devin walked further in. "Hey there, Pops."

Father looked up, his eyes widening for a moment before tearing up, though he still had a large smile on his face. "Devin, my boy. Welcome home, son." He got up from his chair and started across the room.

Devin was quickly down the stairs and met Father halfway. The pair hugged each other, but Devin was careful not to squeeze Father too tight, scared of hurting the old man. "Thanks, Pops."

They held each other for a moment before Father pulled back. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. We knew you would be home soon, but Catherine didn't tell us you were coming home today." He glanced behind Devin. "Speaking of Catherine, where is she? Did she come down with you?"

Devin smiled, keeping one arm around his father's shoulders. "Well, don't blame Cathy. I didn't tell her that I was coming today. I wanted it to be a surprise. And yeah, she did. She was with me until I came in here. I guess she must have taken off to let us have some time on our own." He gently started ushering Father back toward the chair. "Why don't we sit down and get caught up. How are you feeling?"

Father rolled his eyes at the obvious patronizing, but let it go. He knew that it was coming from a place of love and concern. "I'm perfectly fine, Devin. My heart's not going to give out in the next two minutes. Really, my dear boy. You know I love you, but you really don't need to start fussing over me. It's bad enough I have Mary, Catherine and your brother doing it."

Devin chuckled a little bit. He could hear the love that was under the grumpy tone. "You know they mean well, Pops. They just want to make sure that we can keep you with us for as long as possible."

Father gave a gentle smile as he allowed himself to be seated back in his chair. "Yes, I know. They fuss because they love me, and I love them. Still, it does get tiring at times." Shaking his head a little, he brightened up. "But enough of that. Tell me what you've been up to. What exciting new adventures have you had?"

Chuckling a bit, Devin sat back in a nearby chair and started filling his father in on his activities since the last time he had done so. After that, Father took his turn to fill Devin in on the goings on in the Tunnels and among the Helpers.

A bit later, Mary came into the library. "Jacob, dear, it's almost time for dinner. Shall we head down to the dining... Devin? You're home." Smiling with a bit of a tear in her eyes, the old woman came down to hug her stepson.

Devin chuckled a little as he returned the hug. "Well, don't sound so surprised. You knew I was coming sooner or later. I told you last week I was."

Now it was Mary's turn to chuckle. "True. But we didn't expect you today. Did Catherine know you were coming?"

He shook his head. "Nope. A complete surprise for everyone, just as I planned it. I knew you knew I was coming, but I knew you didn't know exactly when."

Mary gave his arm a pat. "Well, it's good to have you home, dear. Now, let's go, both of you. It's time for dinner."

Both men accompanied her out, and in the tunnel on the way to the dining chamber, they ran across Catherine and Vincent. "Hey there, little brother. How're you doing?"

Vincent smiled happily, pulling his brother into a hug. "I'm quite well, Devin. How are you?"

"I'm good. Let me guess, Cathy told you I was here already, huh? You're the first one that hasn't been surprised to see me."

Vincent chuckled a little. "She may have mentioned it. I may not be surprised, but I'm glad to see you. But come, we can catch up while we eat."

They spent the rest of the evening catching up on everything. It was always wonderful having Devin home, but eventually, they saw how tired Father was getting and decided that it was time to call it a night. "I think it's time to head to bed. It's been a long day, and we'll have plenty of time for chatting, right?"

"Yes, I suppose so. Well, goodnight, children. Sleep well." The elder couple said goodnight to the younger trio, then the two groups parted, going their separate ways.

Devin followed Catherine and Vincent to their camber for a little private discussion. "Well, I gotta say, you were definitely right about the old man. He's definitely gone down hill since I was home last time, but he certainly doesn't look like he's going to drop over tomorrow tomorrow, either. He actually looks pretty good, all things considered."

"We told you so. He still has quite a bit of time left. But...well, he doesn't want to risk the stress of the flight out to California for Jake's graduation, so he's decided to stay here, and Mary's staying with him, which leaves me with two extra tickets. Peter's said he'll come along, but I was wondering if you'd be interested in going, too. If not, I understand, and I know Jake will too."

Devin thought about it for a moment before letting out a breath. "Well...we'll see how the next couple days go, but if Pop stays like this...I don't see where it should be a problem. I mean, we'd only be gone a couple of days, right?"

Catherine nodded. "Yes. We fly in the day before the graduation and fly out the day after, so, about three days."

Devin nodded. "Yeah, alright. Like I said, if things stay like they are, I'll go along." He shook his head a little. "It's hard to believe, looking at him, that...he's only got a couple months left. He seems almost normal."

Vincent and Catherine both nodded. "Yeah, we understand. We never even suspected anything was wrong until they told us. Peter says it will become more obvious as time goes on, but you know how stubborn Father is. He doesn't like to show any signs of weakness. He'll likely put on as best a show as he can for as long as he can."

Devin snorted. "Yeah, I don't doubt it. Stubborn old fool." Though the words were harsh, they were said with an affectionate smile. He then yawned and stretched some. "Well, I think I'll be off to bed as well. Night you two." The small group said goodnight and Devin went off to his chamber for the night.

Over the next few days, Devin spent as much time as he could with his father, wanting to spend as much time with him and make as many memories as he could. One evening, the pair were sitting in the library, talking, when Father brought up the subject. "Devin, I know that Peter and Catherine are going to be leaving for California in a couple of days. I also know that Catherine happens to have an extra ticket." He paused for a moment. "It would mean a lot to me if you would use it. I don't want to see it go to waste, and I know it would mean a lot to Jake to have you there for his graduation."

Devin sighed a bit. "Yeah, I know, Pop. Cathy already talked to me about it. I told her that as long as you seemed to be doing alright that I'd go along."

Father held his hands out to the side. "And as you can see, I'm doing perfectly fine, all things considered."

Devin nodded. "Yeah, you're right. So, unless something changes, I'll tell Cathy I'll go with her."

Father gave a nod. "Good, I'm glad. I'm sure it will assure the children of my relative health, having you there."

"I'm sure having Cathy and Peter there would accomplish that task, but still..."

Two days later, Catherine and Devin were packing their bags, getting the last of their things ready for the short stay in San Francisco. As they were just about to leave, Catherine was going over last minute details. "Alright, I know you'll be taken care of, but don't forget, the graduation starts at 2, but that will be 5 O'clock here, and I'll probably call you a little before so that we can make sure everything is set before it gets started."

Vincent gave her a patient smile. "I know all of this, Catherine. I've already arranged with William for him to have a dinner ready for us to bring up."

She nodded. "Good. That's good thinking. Now, you're sure you remember how to handle the video call?"

Now Vincent rolled his eyes. "Catherine, this isn't the first time I've used Skype. It will be fine. Now, you'd better hurry, or you'll miss your flight."

Catherine blushed a little. "Yeah, alright. I know, I'm overreacting. Sorry. I'll call you tonight when we get settled in, and I'll see you in a couple days."

He nodded. "Very well. I look forward to the call, and I'll anticipate your return." The couple kissed and after Devin and Vincent said their goodbyes, Catherine and Devin got into a taxi and headed to the airport.

Once they were there, they met up with the last member of their party. "Hey, kids. Ready to get this trip started?" Peter greeted.

"Of course. It'll be nice to see the kids again. I'm proud of them, but I still miss not having them around."

Peter gave Catherine an understanding smile. "Sweetheart, Susan's been living away from me since she was 18, but there are still times I miss her, even after all this time." He shouldered his bag and turned into the airport. "Well, we'd better get a move on. Don't want to miss our flight."

Of course, it took quite a bit of time to get through security, but eventually they were able to bored the plane to Philadelphia. The pair did their best to relax, knowing that everything was going to be alright and they were only going to be gone for a few days. When they landed, they made their way through the throngs of people. "Alright. We've still got about an hour and a half before our connecting flight," Devin informed Catherine and Peter after checking his watch.

Catherine nodded. "Yeah, I know. This was the best I could work out. Besides, it'll give us some time with Carrie."

"She's supposed to meet us in the restaurant. I believe it's this way." The trio made their way through the crowded airport till they made their way to the restaurant. They had barely stepped in when a young, blond girl came practically charging at them.

Catherine was the first to be tackled. "Mom!"

Catherine let out a grunt, then chuckled, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "Hey, baby. I'm happy to see you too."

Carrie laughed a little before pulling back and moving over to the next person, Peter. "Grandpa."

Peter gave his adopted granddaughter a hug. "Hi there, Kitten. We've missed you. It'll be nice to have you home for the summer. We might not be willing to let you go back in the fall."

Chuckling, she pulled back, giving his shoulder a playful shove. "Grandpa!" Her tone was teasingly annoyed. Then she spotted the third person in the group. "Uncle Devin. I didn't know you were coming."

The pair hugged. "Yeah, well. When I got home last week, your mom offered me the other spare ticket she had. Since everything's pretty quiet at home right now, I decided I might as well tag along."

Catherine snorted. "It wasn't quite _that_ easy to convince him."

Carrie snorted. "I believe that. So Grandfather's doing alright then?"

"Of course, Sweetheart. Do you think any of us would be here if he wasn't?"

Carrie smiled. "No, I guess you're right." She sighed. "I know it might sound crazy, and I know you've all been telling me not to, but I've been so worried about him this whole time. It was kind of hard to concentrate on my finals. Thankfully, I was just taking generals this semester, so none of the classes were really that hard. The grades aren't all in yet, but I'm sure I passed just fine. As for now, I'm starving. Let's go get lunch before we have to get on the plane." The quartet went in and got their food, catching up on all the gossip they hadn't over the phone or in letters.

When the time came, they boarded their flight and were back in the air heading for San Francisco. By the time they landed it was early evening, and by the time they cleared through security, it didn't take them long to find the tall, blond young man who was waiting for them. "Jake, honey, I told you we could catch a cab out to the campus to meet you," Catherine gently admonished as she stepped in to give her son a hug.

While Carrie was built more like her, there was little doubt that Jake took after his father in that department; tall and broad shouldered. But also like Vincent, there was a kindness in his face and a gentle grace to his bearing that made his size far less intimidating and more inviting than he might otherwise be.

Jake huffed a laugh as he bent a little to hug his mother. "And I told _you_ that I was more than happy to come out and meet you and save you the hassle. Really, it's fine, Mom. All my work's done, all but my essentials are already packed. There's nothing for me to do but sit around the house waiting, and that's boring."

Peter chuckled. "I could have told her you wouldn't stay. You get the stubbornness from _both_ sides of the gene pool. It was inevitable that you would end up a pigheaded mule just like the rest of them, wouldn't you say, Doctor?"

Jake laughed as he hugged the old man. "I'm technically not a doctor _yet._ Not until I walk that stage tomorrow and get my diploma."

Peter waved his hand dismissively. "Technicalities, my boy. You've passed all your classes, that's the main point. Tomorrow's just a ceremony and a piece of paper. A very important ceremony and paper, don't get me wrong, but still."

Jake chuckled. "Alright, Grandpa. I get your point." He shook his head a little. "I know this is what I've wanted since I was a kid and what I've been working for for moths, but...honestly, it's going to take a while to get used to being called doctor."

"You'll get used to it, kid. Trust me." Devin took his turn to greet his nephew.

"Hey, Uncle Devin. Didn't know you were coming," the younger man greeted as he hugged his uncle.

"Yeah, well. Your mom had an extra ticket and I wasn't doing anything, so here I am. Now, what do you day we get out of this place."

Jake nodded. "Sure, let's go." After picking up their couple of bags, he led them out to the parking lot. As they piled into his car, he turned to the rest of his family. "Alright, I know you've all been flying all day, so I'll leave it up to you. I can take you to the hotel and let you all get settled in, or we can go for dinner somewhere, or just a little sightseeing around town if you want."

They thought briefly before Catherine spoke up. "Well, I promised your dad that I'd call when we got here. You know him, if I don't, he'll start losing his mind with worry." She rolled her eyes, smiling at the thought of her husband's reaction. "We can go to the hotel, get checked in and drop off our bags, then call home. After that, we'll see."

So that was what they did. Jake drove through the city with an ease of someone who had lived there for a while and had grown up in an even crazier city. They arrived at the hotel shortly. "Hello, welcome to the Stanyan Park Hotel. May I help you?"

"Yes, reservation for Wells." Catherine replied with a polite smile as she walked up to the counter.

The desk clerk typed some on the computer, then nodded. "Ah yes, Mrs. Wells, two rooms for the next two nights."

"That's right."

"Very good, Ma'am." He typed some more, then went to the printer and pulled out some papers, handing them to her. "If I could just have you sign these, and if I could get a card for the payment."

Catherine handed him her card and signed where she needed, then handed them back to the clerk. "There we are. Anything else?"

The clerk finished up then handed her some keys. "No, we're all good. Here you are, you'll be in rooms 115 and 116, just down the hall to the left. Enjoy your stay, and if there's anything we can do for you, just ask."

Catherine took the keys and picked up her bags. "Thank you very much." She then rejoined her family, holding out the two sets of keys. "Alright, Peter and Devin get one room, Carrie and I'll take the other."

The men took one of the keys and they all headed to their rooms.. "Meet in 10?"

"Sure, sounds good. Not really going to unpack much, since we won't be around long. Just unpack the essentials and live out of the suitcase while we're here."

The two sets separated to their rooms and did what they had to do. Once she was done, Catherine took out her cell phone and called her house. Across the country, Vincent checked the ID when the phone rang. Seeing it was his wife, he picked it up. "Catherine."

She smiled at the simple greeting. "Hello, love. How's the day been?"

"It's been alright. Just more of the same. But that's good, I suppose."

"Yes, it certainly is. Better than crazy, stressful problems, right?"

"Indeed. And how was your trip? I assume you're safely in San Francisco."

"Yes, we're here. We met up with Carrie in Philadelphia, and Jake picked us all up at the airport here and drove us to the hotel. We're getting settled in now, then we're probably going to go out for a little while."

Coming close to her mother, Carrie called toward the phone in a loud voice. "Hey, Daddy. Love you, miss you, can't wait to see you."

Vincent chuckled. "Tell her I love her and miss her too. I can't wait to have you all home."

Catherine looked at her daughter. "He says he loves and misses you too." Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Oh, could you get that, Kitten?"

Carrie bounced over, opening it to let the three men in. "Come on in. Mom's on the phone with Dad."

"Tell him hello from all of us."

Catherine held up a finger. "Hold on. Vincent, I think everyone wants to say hello, so I'm just going to put you on speaker, alright?" She pulled the phone away from her ear, pushing the button to put the speaker on, then looked at the others. "Alright, go ahead."

"Hello, everyone."

"Hello, Vincent."

"Hey, little brother. Nothing's fallen apart since we left has it?" Devin teased.

Vincent chuckled a little. "No, nothing has fallen apart. As I was telling Catherine, it's been a rather quiet, normal day."

"So Grandfather's doing alright, then?" Jake asked.

"Of course, Jake. He's perfectly fine. He and I played a few games of chess this afternoon and he took a bit of a nap before dinner. We're all looking forward to seeing you graduate tomorrow."

Jake smiled a little. "Yeah. And I'm looking forward to seeing you all the day after. I've missed you all while I've been here."

"But it was all for the best. You know we wanted you to be able to follow your dreams."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just glad I'll be home soon."

"Well, your mother said you were going to be taking them out on the town, so I won't keep you any longer. We can talk again tomorrow. Have fun, everyone."

"We will. And don't worry, I'll bring you home some souvenirs," Catherine teased a little. It had sort of become a tradition that, whenever she went away somewhere, she would bring home at least a little something so Vincent could see part of that different place.

Vincent smiled a little. "The only souvenirs I want are all of you home, safe and sound."

Catherine chuckled. "You say that every time, but then as soon as I get home, you're just like a little child, waiting to see what Mommy brought you."

"Ahem. Well, this isn't getting you out there. Have a good night, and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

They all said goodnights before Catherine hung up. "Alright then. I think we're ready to go."

"Indeed. Let's go."

Jake took them out, showing them the sights of the city that had been his home away from home for the last few years. They all took pictures, wanting to be able to document what they were seeing so they could take it all home to show Vincent and everyone else so that they could at least get a taste of what had been seen here.

After dinner, Jake dropped them back at the hotel. "Alright now, Jake, I just want you to focus on getting ready for the graduation tomorrow, alright? Don't worry about us, we can easily catch a cab to the campus."

Jake looked them all over. "You're sure?"

They all rolled their eyes at him. "Jake, if we can manage to get around in New York, I don't think San Francisco is going to be a problem, do you?"

He smiled a little, ducking his head in a manor very much like his father. "You're right. Sorry, Mom."

Catherine gave him a smile. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It's fine. I understand. We'll see you in the morning." Saying their goodnights, Jake left and the others went back to their rooms for the night.

The next morning, everyone got up and ready, then met to head out. "Ready to get going?"

"Of course. Just let me grab my purse." Catherine walked over to the table, collected the item, then they all headed out. Getting a taxi, they headed to the campus. They arrived plenty early, but that was part of the point. Since they were going to be sharing this with those in New York (with the aid of Catherine's tablet), they wanted to make sure that they got a good seat so that the others would be able to see well on the other side of the country.

There was a crowd of students and their family members milling around, chatting and congratulating those who were graduating today, but it didn't take them all that long to find Jake. He spotted them as well, and, smiling, waved them over. "Hey, guys." He hugged everyone in greeting, then turned to the people around him. "This is my roommate Mark, and our friends Tina, Kyle and Evie. Guys, this is my mom Catherine, my baby sister Carrie, Uncle Devin, and Grandpa Peter."

There were handshakes all around. "I'm so sorry to here about Doctor Wells' illness. We were actually a little surprised that you actually came."

"Thank you. But he's actually doing fairly well right now, all things considered. He insisted that we come," Catherine informed them.

"And when Grandfather insists on something, it's best to humor him," Jake joked.

They laughed. "It's true. But he'll be able to see everything from home, thanks to the wonderful invention that is Skype."

"Well, that's nice. Even if he can't be here in person, he'll still get to see his grandson graduate."

Just then, Mark glanced around. "Hey, J, we'd best get inside. Everyone's starting to get ready."

Jake glanced at his friend before turning back to his family. They gave him a smile. "Go on, sweetheart. We need to get in and set up ourselves. But don't you worry, we'll make sure that we keep them on the line long enough for you to say hello."

Jake nodded. "Alright. I'll see you later." With more hugs, the two groups separated.

The family quickly made their way to their seats, and once they were settled, Catherine pulled out her tablet and she started working to get it set up. It took a few minutes, but eventually she got it done. "There, now let's see if they're there." Opening up Skype, she saw that the mark indicated that they were logged in, so she clicked it and called. It was only a couple virtual rings before they 'picked up' on the other side and Catherine gave them a smile. "Hey there, everyone."

"Catherine. How is everything in California?"

"Everything's going well. We're at the arena. We saw Jake yesterday and for a few minutes before he had to go in to get ready."

Father smiled. "I bet he's excited and nervous. I remember I felt like I was flying on cloud 9, but it was butterflies in my stomach that were keeping me up there."

Not wanting to wait any longer, Carrie leaned over beside her mother, waving at the screen. "Hi, Grandfather!"

The old man smiled happily at seeing the young girl. "Hello, my darling. How was the end of your term?"

She shrugged. "It was alright. Finals always suck, but I did fairly well. But you look good. I can't wait to get home tomorrow."

"I'm feeling fairly well, all things considered. I'm looking forward to seeing you as well."

"We all are, darling. We're so proud of you and your brother, but we still miss you when you're away." Mary added.

The family chatted for a while longer before it became obvious that they were getting ready to start the ceremony. Catherine made sure that her tablet remained aimed toward the main action as things got going. After all the students filed into their seats, there were the traditional speeches and such, and finally, it was time for all the graduates to walk the stage and receive their diplomas.

The students were divided in their seating by program, and the medical doctors were near the end of the listing, and with the last name 'Wells', Jake was near the end of the doctors. But when the name 'Jacob Vincent Wells' was finally announced, and they watched as he walked across the stage, shaking hands with the dean and the head of his program, his entire family was bursting with pride.

It was all they could do to sit still through the rest of the pomp and circumstance, but they managed, and in a relatively short time, the ceremony was over, the graduates all filed out, then it was time for the families to exit and meet up with them to give congratulations and to celebrate.

Catherine was still holding the call open when they found Jake. "Congratulations, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you." Having passed the tablet to Peter, she wrapped her son in a huge hug, kissing his cheek.

Unlike many young men, Jake wasn't at all embarrassed by his mother's enthusiasm and display of affection, returning them wholeheartedly. "Thanks, Mom. I'm glad it's over, though." He lowered his voice. "I swear, I was about ready to fall asleep a few times in there."

They all laughed. "Confidentially, so was I. But now you don't have to worry about graduations anymore," Peter consoled as he gave him a hug as well.

Carrie snorted. " _For now_. Don't think you're getting out of coming to mine, big brother. If I had to suffer through yours, it's only fair."

Jake laughed as they hugged. "You got it, baby sister. I'll mark it in my calendar.

Father spoke up from the other side of the country. "Graduations never change. They've always been boring affairs. I actually did doze off at mine. Do you remember, Peter?"

Peter laughed a bit. "I remember. Old Dean Mickleson was the king of droning on. He reminded me of Ben Stein, or that fellow on Mrs. Doubtfire. You know, the one that Robin Williams replaces at the TV network in the end."

Jake and Carrie both laughed. "Wow, Grandpa, you really are old, you know that?"

Peter laughed as well. "Don't remind me. I can't believe I have a grandson who's old enough to have graduated medical school."

Father raised an eyebrow at his old friend. "Oh really? And what about Susan's children?"

Peter waved a hand. "I know, but they aren't here staring me in the face in cap and gown."

Shaking his head with weary affection, Jake ignored one grandfather for the other. "It's too bad you couldn't be here, Grandfather, though I do understand, and I'm glad you didn't take the risk. I'm just glad you got to see it, even if it was over the computer."

Father gave him a slightly sad smile. "So am I, my boy. Just know that I love you, and I'm so proud of you."

Mary nodded her agreement. "He's right, dear. We can't wait to have you back home with us."

Jake smiled. "I love you, too. And we'll see you tomorrow evening, alright?"

"We're looking forward to it. Now, enjoy your last night in San Francisco, and have a safe flight tomorrow. We'll see you when you get home."

"Alright. Love you all. Bye." Everyone said their goodbyes, then Catherine disconnected the call.

Once her tablet was stored, she turned to her son. "Now, Jake, I suppose you have plans with your friends for tonight."

He shrugged a little. "Well, they were talking about hanging out, but…"

"No 'buts' young man," Peter interrupted. "We are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves for one night. And it's not like we aren't going to be seeing a lot of each other once we get home."

"Your grandpa's right, kid. Go spend one more night with your friends. You're all going to be so busy for the next couple years, you may not get the chance to see each other again for a long time. Take what you can when you can," Devin advised.

Jake hesitated a moment. "You guys are sure?"

"Yes! Go. We'll see you in the morning."

Jake's gang poked their heads into the conversation. "You know, you all are welcome to join us if you want. We're probably just going to go spend one last night at one of our favorite taverns," Tina offered.

"Thank you, dear, but no. This is your night to celebrate and say your goodbyes. You don't want a bunch of strangers tagging along. We'll be just fine. You all have fun."

The family said their goodbyes, then the new graduates all took off for their celebration while the rest of the family decided to take the rest of the day to explore the city. They enjoyed their time before returning to their hotel to get a good night's sleep before they had to leave for the airport the next morning.

The flight across the country was a long one, but as they finally exited JFK, they breathed in the 'fresh' city air, stretching their legs as they walked the parking lot. "As much as I enjoyed San Francisco, it's good to be home."

"Mmm. It sure is. We were only gone a couple of days, but still...I'm glad to be back."

"Well, come on. If traffic cooperates with us, we should be able to make it home in time to get down for dinner."

"Then let's get going. You know nothing can beat William's home cooking."

"Our campus cafeteria may have been pretty good, but it still doesn't hold a candle to William."

"I second that, baby sister. Even when we had the time and ambition to cook at the house, none of us was nearly as good at it."

Catherine chuckled. "Well then, let's stop standing around here talking and get going."

They loaded their bags into the car and headed out. Thankfully, the traffic wasn't too bad, so Catherine was able to get through without much real trouble. When they reached the house, they unloaded, taking all their bags to their rooms. Once that was done, they checked the time. "Well, do you kids want to take the time to unpack, get settled in and rest a little before we head down, or do you want to go down now and take care of your bags later?"

The siblings barely had to glance at each other before they agreed on a decision. "Let's go down. It's not like our stuff is going anywhere."

"Alright, kids. Let's go then." They headed Below, wandering down to the Hub.

When they reached Father's study, Jake and Carrie all but ran into the chamber to greet their grandparents. Seeing them both sitting down there, they smiled happily, trotting down the stairs to them. "GrandFather, GrandMary!"

The elders smiled happy greetings, holding their arms open to greet their grandchildren home. "Jake, Carrie. Welcome home, children." The four hugged, tears coming to their eyes.

"It's so good to have you back. Phone and video calls are nice, but they just aren't the same."

"No, they aren't. But you look good, GrandFather."

He gave a rueful smile. "For an old man nearing Death's door." When he saw Carrie start to tear up, he took her hand to pull her close. "Now now, my dear. It's alright. I've had a long life, I have few regrets, and now that you are home, I have everyone I love here with me. I am content. I know it will be hard for you left behind, but don't be too sad, alright? I have loved and been loved more than many poor souls in this world, and I know that _that_ is the legacy I leave behind."

Carrie sniffed back tears. "We'll never forget you, GrandFather."

"I know you won't. Just don't be too sad when you remember. Let your memories be happy and full of love." Giving his granddaughter a hug and reaching over to squeeze his grandson's hand, Father allowed the emotions go for a few moments before moving on. "Well now, why don't you both sit down and tell us what's been going on."

The family settled in and filled each other in on everything that had been going on since they had last seen each other, expanding from what they had already told in phone calls and letters. It was good for them all to be together once again.


End file.
